As mentioned in September and October, the Great Danes project is an initiative aiming to strengthen the male side of Danish swimming, by offering a selection of their best young male swimmers the opportunity to step-up on the international stage. Svoem.dk has interviewed Danish national coach Nick Juba, as this project launches this weekend, with a training camp in Greve, Denmark.

What will the main focus for this first gathering be?
This weekend will be about laying a foundation for the Great Danes programme. I will be explaining to Denmark’s top male, home-based swimmers exactly what we are trying to achieve over the next three years. I know that the Great Danes is an important initiative for Danish swimming and, if we are to raise the standard of Danish men’s swimming to the current world- high women’s levels, we need to get it just right!

How will you mentally strengthen the boys individually and as a group?
”There will be plenty of talking from an experienced group of Danish coaches and Team Denmark sports psychologists, but also from out-of-swimming speakers. Currently these guys, in swimming-terms need to have, stronger egos and more self-belief in their own capabilities. One mentor that I will use will be Jakob Andkjaer, a Danish World and European medallist from recent times. The Great Danes need to know exactly what it takes to live with the world’s best swimmers.”

Read more here on svoem.dk (the interview itself in English)