Sydney, Mar. 17 (ANI): Ian Thorpe's mentor Leigh Nugent said he has no doubt controversial coach Gennadi Touretski is the right person to steer the five-time Olympic champion to next year's London Games.
Thorpe finalised his coaching set-up on Wednesday, 500 days out from the Olympics, revealing he is training with the Russian-born Touretski in Switzerland, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
The 61-year-old coached at the Australian Institute of Sport for 10 years from 1992 and has had the likes of four-time Russian Olympic gold medallist Alex Popov and Australian Michael Klim in his stable.
Thorpe, who has been mentored by Swimming Australia head coach Nugent since his return to the sport in October, will train under Touretski in Tenero for most of the year, as well as returning to Abu Dhabi and Australia for specific camps and blocks of training.
"If I thought he wasn't the right guy, mate, I wouldn't be here," Nugent said from Switzerland.
He added: "This has been a major process for us, we've thought long and hard about this obviously and you don't do these things without being sure that this is the right thing."
He said: "I think it's the best combination you can get ... they're two geniuses at what they do."
Touretski, currently the head coach at the National Training Centre in Switzerland, has an impressive record of having coached swimmers to more than 40 world records throughout his career. (ANI)
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