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Long time retired … Libby Trickett is considering a comeback. Photo: Shaun Botterill Swimming Australia says the decision that led to the demise of national coach Alan Thompson was because his role became ”too big for one person to do”, and to make sure other programs are not financially compromised to subsidise the elite team. Thompson took redundancy last Friday after deciding he could not work under the proposed restructuring at SA, which created a position for a high performance general manager to work beside the head coach, after the 51-year-old had filled both roles since 2006. Yesterday SA chief executive, Kevin Neil, and president, David Urquhart, said a review of the situation made it clear the roles had to be split, and after receiving a draft job description of the new head coach position, Thompson decided he did not want to hold the post. ”Yes, it was a reduction in his authority … he would have to [be the one to] say that, but that would be what I would imagine,” Neil said when asked about the role change. ”It was pretty well viewed that the job was too big for one person to do, and probably neither job was done to its potential as best as possible. It’s a big job.” Neil said the new head coach’s role would be all about performance while the high performance role would focus ”budgetary control and stakeholder relationships”. Urquhart said that like all sports, funding was crucial and there is only a ”certain amount of money in the bucket”. He said with the high performance team and elite squads travelling overseas regularly, costs could blowout with fluctuations in the Australian dollar, and when that happened, the money has in some cases, needed to be taken from other areas, such as the youth program. ”In the previous financial year, Leigh Nugent’s youth program received some major cuts, and he couldn’t do things with the youth program because money was being taken out of the youth program to subsidise some of the blowouts in the high performance unit for the major teams,” Urquhart said. ”That was one of our very strong arguments in going to the government in terms of why we needed more money into the high performance area.” Neil added: ”One of the things that came out, was that it had happened historically, more than once as I understand it. It appeared two or three times under different coaches in the past, that money was taken from that [youth] program and put into the high performance program, which is leaving the stocks dry down below. ”The board believed strategically it is very important the national youth coach’s program is funded and that is one budget, and this [high performance] is another budget.” While the youth program is vital, the catch-22 is that funding depends on results on a world stage from the elite team. If they are under-funded, and don’t achieve the best possible results, those youth swimmers would have less funding when they reach elite standard. Neil made it clear that Thompson’s departure had nothing to do with anonymous allegations of inappropriate behaviour against the coach and the ongoing investigation. He said Thompson could still apply for either of the new roles. Both men said it was important to have the new roles settled before the national titles, which start in Sydney on March 16, and they felt it is possible despite being only five weeks away. ”I think it is important but I also think that the coaches are fully aware that regardless of who sits in that position, they are the ones who do the job, them and the athletes,” Urquhart said. When contacted yesterday, Thompson told the Herald he did not wish to comment on the matter. Libby Trickett, meanwhile, says she will consider making a return to swimming under new coach Leigh Nugent, reports Stathi Paxinos. Nugent said he was likely to call the former 100 metres freestyle and 100m butterfly world champion to ask her to return to the pool. Trickett retired in December.

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Thompson’s role was too big for one person: Neil