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| Mike
Bottom, Sprint Swim Expert |
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Tribute to the best World Swim Coach, trainer of Mike Cavic and CAL Golden
Bears Team (California,USA) |
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(Beograd,
Okt. 2004) ---- U svom poslednjem 'news letter'-u koji smo dobili od Gary
Hall Junior-a, cuvene svetske i americke plivacke zvezde i osvajaca
10 olimpijskih odlicja, posebna pocast svom ucitelju i treneru Mike Bottom-u,
nakon Svetskog |
prvenstva u Indianapolis-u
izrazena je sledecom recenicom : "Mike Bottom je jos jednom ostvario
rezultate, potvrdjujuci sta sam odavno govorio, da je on najbolji trener
sprinta na svetu..." |
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Kako je i legenda Srpskog plivanja Milorad Mike Cavic, ucenik Bottom-a,
upoznajemo vas sa ovim svetski priznatim plivackim strucnjakom i jednim
od najtrofejnijih americkih trenera u istoriji. I to dvojezicno, kako za
plivacke fanove u nasoj zemlji tako i posetioce sa Balkana i iz celog sveta.
Zaista, neverovatne uspehe postizu njegovi plivaci, a tako malo svet zna
za "njegove cuvene tehnike"... |
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Zapravo, ko je Mike Bottom,
covek plavih ociju, sa hrpom oborenih rekorada? |
| Osam sezona na poznatom Kalifornijskom
Univerzitetu Berkeley, kao jedan od dva ravnopravna glavna trenera, a danas
zasigurno najbolji svetski plivacki trener sprintera... Iako su upravo
njegove savremene metode razvoja sprintera proizvele toliko novih svetskih
rekorada i vrhunskih plivackih dometa na najvecim takmicenjima u poslednje
cetiri godine, sef struke i idejni tvorac "Berkeley cuda" - Zlatnih Medveda
(Golden Bears) je upravo doajen americkog plivackog sporta Gdin Nort
Thornton. Pod njegovom dirigentskom palicom je upravo Mike Bottom i
startovao kao trener asistent, na ovom univerzitetu. |
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Kad smo prvi put spoznali ekstremne vrednosti ovog izuzetnog strucnjaka? |
| U sezoni 1999-2000, Anthony Ervin
tada najbolji ucenik Bottom-a, osvaja dve zlatne medalje u disciplinama
50 i 100 m slobodno na najacem americkom NCAA univerzitetskom prvenstvu...
Olimpijada u Sidneju 2000 je bila prva prilika za njegovu promociju na
svetskom novou: Anthony Ervin i Gary Hall, Jr. dve zlatne medalje i jedno
finale Bart Kizierowski, plivajuci za Poljsku... |
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A kako je izgledao trenerski uspon Mike Bottom-a ! |
| Zavrsio je fakultet na USC-u na
odseku za psihologiju i sa najvisom prosecnom ocenom, stekao posebnu sportsku
stipendiju. Zatim je magistrirao na Auburn-u. U svojim aktivnim plivackim
danima pored ucesca na NCAA sampionatima, bio je clan Americkog olimpijskog
tima i clan rekordne stafete 4x100 m slobodno. Za vreme svoga boravka na
univerzitetu Auburn 1991-1994, kreirao je "Ultra sprint program"
i primenio ga na dva tada njegova nepoznata plivaca Bill Pilczuk-u i Dean
Hutchinson-u, sa kojima je dogurao do NCAA finala... |
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| 1995 seli se u USC gde predvodi
Trojan Men's Swimming, a 1997. preuzima zenski tim USC-a osvajajuci tada
prvu titulu NCAA sampiona za ovaj uiverzitet. U julu mesecu 1997 pridruzuje
se Thornton-u na CAL Univerzitetu. U letnjim periodima od 1995-1998 boravi
u Finiksu (Arizona), gde radi sa Hall Jr. (tada osvojacem 4 medalje na
Olimpijadi u Atlanti '96) i Jon Olsenom (osvajacem 4 zlata na olimpijskim
igrama)... Tada 1999.god. upravo Gery Hall Junior ostvaruje svoje najbolje
vreme na Drzavnom prvenstvu (Phillips 66) u 50 slobodno - 22.13, a Matt
Macedo u istoj disciplini popravlja svoje najbolje vreme za 1.5 sec, osvaja
bronzu u vremenu 22.67 |
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| Od 1999-2000, Bottom osvaja NCAA
sampionsku titulu sa Ervin-om u disciplinama 50 i 100 slobodno, obarajuci
tada rekord cuvenog Matt Biondia u 100 kraul - 41.80... Tada Bottomovi
sprinteri osvajaju ukupno 5 Olimpijskih medalja u Sidneju, 4 sampionske
NCAA titule i 10 razlicitih odlicja na Pac-10 sampionatima sa CAL timom |
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| U leto 2001, Bottom je odredjen
za asistenta selektora SAD na Svetskom prvenstvu u Fukuoki u Japanu. Njegov
plivac Anthony Ervin osvaja dva zlata u 50 i 100 kraul, Juzno-afrikanac
Roland Schoeman je bio treci u 50 kraul i 4-ti u 50 delfin... Svedjanka
Therese Ashammar osvojila je dva srebra u 50 kraul i 50 delfin. |
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| 2002 god. Bottom dolazi u Evropu
sa 14 svojih plivaca i formira trening bazu u Splitu (Hrvatska). Ujedno
je na Evropskom prvenstvu paralelno pomagao nacionalnim selekcijama Hrvatske
i Poljske (a tu je imao i svoje plivace - Gordan Kozulj osvaja zlato u
200 ledjno, a Duje Draganja bronzu u 100 slobodno sa drzavnim rekordom
Hrvatske). |
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| Na svetskom prvenstvu u Barseloni
2003. god. Bottom je bio u ulozi trenera plivaca iz 7 drzava... Gordan
Kozulj (CRO) osvaja srebro u 200 ledjno dok Milorad Cavic i Alex Lim plivaju
u finalu i osvajaju 8-ma mesta u disciplinama 100 kraul i 100 ledjno...
Iste godine u decembru u Dablinu (Irska) Mike Cavic osvaja zlatnu medalju
i obara svetski rekord i evropski rekord sampionata u disciplini 100 delfin
50.02 |
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| Prosle sezone 'Golden Bears' su
zapoceli osvajanjem 4-tog mesta u ekipnoj konkurenciji na NCAA sampionatu
2004 u Njujorku...Duje Draganja i stafeta 4 x 100 penje se do najviseg
odlicja. Olimpijske igre u Atini ponovo potvrdjuju vrednosti Bottom-ovih
plivaca : Gary Hall Jr., Roland Shoeman, Duje Draganja, Therese Alsammar
i dr. VII Svetsko prvenstvo u malim bazenima "Indianapolis 2004": Iles
48.07 - 100 slobodno (srebro), ponovo Duje Draganja 50 delfin 23.26
(bronza), Therese Alsammar 50 slobodno 24.63 (bronza) .... i svi ucenici
velikog Mike Bottom-a. |
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Anthony Ervin
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Gary Hall Jr.
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Gordan Kozulj
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Alex Lim
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T. Alshammar
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B. Kizierowski
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Duje Draganja
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Mike Cavic
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Who's the man of blue eyes and with a hoard of records ? |
| California co-head swim coach Mike
Bottom has established himself as one of the world's top sprint coaches.
In spite of the fact that many of their modern methods in swim development
belong to Bottom, the architect of the Berkeley's Miracle - 'Golden Bears',
is Mr. Nort Thornton. Upon his Head coaching, the outset of
Cal's successes is dated just from the time of Bottom's moving to Berkeley... |
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When have we heard about this worthy trainer for the first time? |
| During the 1999-2000 NCAA season,
Bottom coached Ervin to wins in both the 50 and 100-meter freestyle at
the NCAA Championships. For the first time in Olympic history in 2000,
two men tied for the gold medal, and both were coached by Bottom. Gold
medallists Anthony Ervin and Gary Hall, Jr., swimming for the United States,
were joined by Bart Kizierowski, swimming for Poland, in the finals of
the Sydney Olympics. |
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Nort Thornton and
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Mike Bottom
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And what his coaching upsurge looks like? |
| Bottom graduated Summa Cum Laude
from USC with a bachelor's degree in psychology and received the Scholar-Athlete
Award for the graduating athlete with the highest GPA. He received a master's
degree in counseling at Auburn. In his swimming days, Bottom was an Olympic
team member and was on a World record 400 free relay. While at USC he was
a member of three NCAA Championship teams. |
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| While at Auburn from 1991-1994,
Bottom created the ultra sprint program, taking two then unheard-of athletes,
Bill Pilczuk and Dean Hutchinson, to the NCAA finals. He assisted in the
rise of the Auburn men's team that won the 1997 and 1999 NCAA titles. In
1995, Bottom moved to USC to become the Trojans' sprint coach, and in 1997,
the USC women's team won their first ever NCAA title. He joined Cal head
coach Nort Thornton in July of 1997. |
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| From 1995-1999, Bottom summered
in Phoenix, Arizona, where he coached sprinters such as Hall, Jr.,
a four-time medallist at the Atlanta Olympic Games, and Jon Olsen, a four-time
Olympic gold medallist. In the summer of 1999, Bottom continued with Hall
at Cal. This team effort resulted in a U.S. National Championship and Hall's
then best time in the 50-meter freestyle, 22.13. In addition, former Bear
Matt Macedo, trained under Bottom that summer and lowered his 50-meter
free by over 1.5 seconds to 22.67 to place third. |
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| During the 1999-2000 NCAA
season, Bottom coached Ervin to wins in both the 50 and 100-meter freestyle
at the NCAA Championships. In 2000-2001, Ervin repeated as the NCAA champion
in the 100 free, tying the legendary Matt Biondi with a time of 41.80.
In all, Bottom's sprinters won five Olympic medals in Sydney and he has
coached four different NCAA champions and 10 different Pac-10 champions
at Cal. |
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| During the summer of 2001,
Bottom was selected to be an assistant coach for the United States at the
World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. At the World Championships, several
of the sprinters Bottom has coached excelled. Cal's Ervin won both the
50 and 100-meter freestyle; South Africa's Roland Schoeman was third in
the 50 free (first medal ever for South Africa at a world championship)
and fourth in the 50 fly. Therese Alshammar from Sweden won the silver
medal in the women's 50 free and 50 fly. |
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| During the summer of 2002,
Bottom has come to Europe with 14 athletes to establish a training base
in Split, Croatia. He also served as the official coach of both the Croatian
and Polish teams at the European Championships, where he coached two former
Bears to gold medals (Gordan Kozulj '00 - won the 200 back; Bart Kizierowski
'01 - won the 50 free). He also coached current Bear, Draganja, to a bronze
medal in the 100 free, in which he set a national Croatian record. |
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| At the 2003 FINA World Championships
in Barcelona, Spain, Bottom coached athletes from seven countries. Former
Bear Gordan Kozulj finished second in the 200 back, while current swimmers
Milorad Cavic and Alex Lim finished eighth in the 100 free and 100 back,
respectively. Same year in Dublin (Ireland) at European Short Course Championships,
Mike Cavic swims to his Gold and World record in 100 fly men - 50.02 |
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| Last season, Bottom and head coach
Nort Thornton, directed Cal to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
At the NCAA meet, Duje Draganja out touched teammate Anthony Ervin for
a 1-2 finish in the 100 freestyle. Cal’s sprinters, coached by Bottom,
have won the 100 free at the NCAAs an unprecedented five years in
a row. The Golden Bears’ 400 free relay team also claimed a championship
title with the fastest time in NCAA history (3:48.99). Olimpiad in Athens
showed who's the best: Garry hall Jr., Roland Shoeman, Duje Draganja, Therese
Alsammar and others... And finally, at Indy 2004, Short Course World Championships
Iles 48.07 - 100 free (silver), again Draganja 50 fly 23.26 (bronze),
Alsammar 50 free 24.63 (bronze) .... all coached by El Grande Mike Bottom
!!! |
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Arranged and prepared by Mr.G.Rasula,
Executive Manager of Swim Star 2000 SC, Belgrade
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© 1999-2004 All rights reserved
by SWIM STAR 2000 Swimming Club, Belgrade and MGI Agency, Belgrade
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