Albiero Named to Portugal's Olympic Coaching Staff
July 10, 2012 | Swimming & Diving
July 10, 2012
University of Louisville head swim coach Arthur Albiero was named to Portugal's Olympic coaching staff for the 2012 London Games. He will join Coach Elio Terrivel on the two-man coaching staff. They will coach seven invited swimmers, two of whom are U of L swimmers.
"I am honored to be appointed to the Portuguese Olympic Coaching Staff, said Albiero. "I appreciate the confidence bestowed upon me by Mr. Paulo Frischknecht , President of the Portuguese Swimming Federation, and Mr. Rui Magalhaes , the Portuguese National Team Director, in appointing me to join their Olympic Swimming squad. Certainly from a professional level, being part of the Olympics is always a marquee moment in a coaching career. More importantly, I am looking forward to continuing to work closely with Carlos Almeida and Pedro Oliveira, along with the rest of the Portuguese Olympic Swim Team."
Cardinals Carlos Almeida, the NCAA 200-breast national champion, and Pedro Oliveira, who is making his second Olympic appearance for Portugal and a five-time All-American, will be two thoroughbreds in Portugal's swim stable. U of L swimmer Joao De Lucca will be competing for Brazil at the Games as well.
Albiero, a native of Brazil, will make his way to Lisbon, Portugal on July 20th for pre-Olympic national ceremonies before making the short hop over to London on July 24th. Swimming is one of the first events contested in the games, so while Almeida, Oliveira and Albiero will be outfitted for the Opening Ceremonies, they will most likely not participate due to the early wakeup call the next morning for the first day of competition.
"I am thankful for the support we have from our Athletic Department at UofL starting at the top with Dr. Ramsey, Tom Jurich and Julie Hermann," said Albiero. " They have enabled us to create a first-class environment where student-athletes can grow and flourish while pursuing their goals and dreams in athletics, in academics, and as individuals. Our four Olympians are a testament to that on the international level. Our first NCAA Top-10 finish speaks for itself on the national level."
The Cardinal men's swim team is coming off its best season ever, with a ninth place finish at the 2012 NCAAs and its first individual national championship.
"The success we have achieved as a program this season could not have happened without our coaching staff and support staff. We have a great team behind the team. But in all this, we are hungrier than ever as a program to continue our growth," said Albiero.
