City of Cardiff Swimming Club

Head Coach

Dave Haller

Head Coach Profile

Dave Haller has an impressive pedigree in the world of swimming. A GB Olympic swimmer himself in 1964, he has coached swimmers to every Olympic Games since 1968. He has also coached for ten Commonwealth games and three Asian games (for the Hong Kong squad). His swimmers have achieved six World records, ten Olympic medals (including three golds), 32 Commonwealth medals and over 20 European and World Championship medals.  

Dave was BBC Wales 'Coach of the Year' 2004, Sports Council for Wales 'Sports Coach of the Year' 2004 & 2006 and has received the Great Britain Swimming Coaches Association 'Coach of the Year' award no less than nine times. 

Scottish Swimming honoured Dave with a coaching award for the work he has done with Gregor Tait. Gregor won two golds and two bronze medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the best performance ever by a Scottish athlete in any sport at the Commonwealth Games. Recently the British Swimming Coaches Association has presented Dave with the accolade 'Performance Coach of the Year' and the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' for 40 years of swimming coaching.

Dave was head coach of the City of Cardiff Swimming Club for two years following its formation in 1974 and returned to that post in 1991, a post which he still holds today. As well as coaching the Elite squad at Cardiff, Dave also coaches the Elite squad.

Club Profile

The City of Cardiff Swimming Club was formed in 1974 by current head coach, Dave Haller. He united the, then, several Cardiff swimming clubs to create one single club.

Training at many pools across Cardiff, including the Empire Pool (one of the few 50m pools in the UK at that time), the club developed quickly to become one of the top clubs in the UK. The demise of the Empire Pool in 1998 to make way for the Millennium Stadium took away the opportunity to train locally in a Long Course facility.  In 2008 a new era began, with the opening of the 10 lane 50m Cardiff International Pool in Cardiff Bay. It enables swimmers to progress all the way through the performance pathway with City of Cardiff Swimming Club, and has resulted in the club attracting elite level swimmers from across the UK.

The club comprises thirteen squads, from an entrance Stage 7 (National Plan for Teaching Swimming) up to the Elite Squad whose members include Commonwealth Games and Olympic representatives and medal winners. There are three professional coaches, including Dave Haller, supported by a team of dedicated, volunteer coaches.

Contact: Carol Frizelle, Promotions Officer

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