TRITON SPORT TO SPONSOR NEIL AGIUS

In order to maintain progress our athletes, particularly swimmers, have to rely mostly on overseas competition. Evidence of this is that most of the current national swimming records have been established in International Swim Meets, many of which were abroad. 

The onus of covering the expenses when participating or training abroad very often falls on the swimmers’ families. Such a financial burden can only be eased by the allocation of grants from the Malta Olympic Committee under its programme of technical assistance and through sponsorship deals.

Such a deal has recently been announced by Triton Sport and the beneficiary is distance swimmer, Neil Agius, whose ventures overseas in recent years either for competition or for training purposes have often been personally financed.

Triton Sport is a company which specialises in personal training, coaching and physiological testing. Its chore activity is sport science and it is geared towards providing the best in training programmes, and physiological preparation.

Agius, holder of all distance swimming records from 400 metres to 1500 metres freestyle, will be assisted by the members of the Triton Sport team under the direction of Maria Mifsud Bonnici, a former top triathlete, who is now the firm’s Sports Physiologist.

According to Mifsud Bonnici, Neil’s current physiological condition will be evaluated and the results will help the swimmer address any areas which can be modified so as to improve his performance.

‘Evaluations of his metabolic profile at rest and lactate profile during his swimming, as well as his anaerobic power and capacity, will enable Neil’s coach, Andy Colbourn, to devise the ideal programme best suited for his race preparation,’ Mifsud Bonnici said.

Altitude preparation for the swimmer is another type of training which will be available through Triton Sport. This will help boost his performance even further. Neil will also be assisted in strength training, addressing the specific muscles used in swimming so that they will constantly be maintained in optimal shape by sports massage sessions provided as a part of the swimmer’s sponsorship deal. 

During 2006 Agius is aiming at lowering further his 1500 metres record which currently stands at 16 minutes 50.46 seconds, and thus obtain the qualifying standard required for participation in the 2007 Games of the Small States of Europe to be held in Monaco.

With the lack of local competition at this distance it is certainly not easy for the swimmer to achieve personal bests or break national records unless he can continue benefiting from a scientific standpoint and participate in international competitions.