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| Human Interest | |
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Further Personal Information | |
| Higher education | Commerce - Griffith University: Gold Coast, QLD, AUS |
| Occupation | Coach |
General Interest | |
| Nicknames | Tommy, Tom (Facebook profile, 10 May 2020; Twitter profile, 28 Nov 2018) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto | "I definitely see myself as a world champion, and you have to have that mentality to go anywhere in this sport. But I am more the person who has a strong inner belief, and I let my swimming do the talking." (smh.com.au, 12 Jul 2019) |
| Other information | INJURY FORCES MEDLEY DROP He dropped the individual medley while preparing for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo due to a persistent shoulder injury that affected him in 2020 and 2021. Scans revealed that he had a "significant rift" in his subscapularis [shoulder muscle], due to years of wear and tear. He declined surgery due to its potential impact on his preparation for the Games. "If you try to swim like I was trying to do later last year [in 2020], you'll be in a worse position and won't go to [Olympic] trials. But if you follow the surgical route, you won't be in time for the competition, so this was my only option. It's a very important muscle for swimmers and it's like a hamstring for soccer players. I swim in the 200m freestyle and don't use medley with the other strokes for my shoulders. So we bit the bullet, even though I'm used to having multiple events." (sydneynewstoday.com, 13 Apr 2021) CONSIDERING QUITTING In December 2017 he began training alone during his 12-month suspension after missing three doping tests in a year. He considered quitting the sport, but began working with Griffith University coach Michael Bohl in 2018. "When it all happened in 2017, there was that feeling of what next? Do I retire, do I take some time off then come back? I knew fairly quickly I didn't want to retire on a negative note. And if I kept going, you can't do things half-hearted. I wanted to keep swimming for my reasons, to come back for a third Olympics [in Tokyo] and get something I don't have, which is an Olympic medal. Before I got back in the pool, I made sure I knew exactly what I could and couldn't do. I couldn't swim in a squad with an accredited coach, and I couldn't train at the same time as a squad. So I trained in the public lane." (brisbanetimes.com.au, 12 Jul 2019; thewest.com.au, 08 Jun 2019; newcastleherald.com.au, 24 May 2019) COACHING He offers swimming lessons and programmes through TFH Coaching in Australia. He has also worked as a coach at Why Not Me Swim Clinics, an initiative run by current and ex-Australian swimmers for beginners in the sport. In 2021 he joined the Australian Institute of Sport [AIS] Elevate to Coach programme. "It's exciting to transition into coaching. I'm committed to learning the art of coaching. Just because you've been a successful athlete doesn't mean you have mastered the craft, I'm excited to perfect that. I've had some incredible coaches over my athletic career, so I am enthusiastic to use the knowledge I learnt from them as well as the knowledge I observed at international meets." (TFH Coaching Facebook page, 17 Sep 2021; swimming.org.au, 16 Sep 2021; Why Not Me Swim Clinics Facebook page, 22 Feb 2021) SANCTION In June 2017 he received a 12-month suspension from the International Swimming Federation [FINA] after he missed three doping tests in a year. He was eligible to return to competition in June 2018. (theaustralian.com.au, 03 Jul 2018; swimswam.com, 07 Jun 2018; smh.com.au, 08 Jun 2017) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Why this sport? | He took up the sport because he enjoyed going to the beach, and his sister was already a swimmer. |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | He began swimming at age five. |
General Interest | |
| Awards and honours | In 2014 he was named Oceania/Australia Male Swimmer of the Year by swimming news website SwimSwam as part of its Swammy Awards. (swimswam.com, 21 Dec 2014) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Languages | English |
General Interest | |
| Injuries | In 2020 and 2021 he suffered from persistent pain due to wear and tear in his shoulder muscle [subscapularis]. He was offered surgery but declined, due to its potential impact on his preparation for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. (sydneynewstoday.com, 13 Apr 2021) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Club / Team | Griffith University: Australia |
| Name of coach | Michael Bohl [club], AUS |
Further Personal Information | |
| Residence | Gold Coast, QLD, AUS |
General Interest | |
| Hobbies | Supporting Australian rugby league club Newcastle Knights. (newcastleherald.com.au, 24 May 2019) |
| Famous relatives | His partner Jessica Eriksson has competed for Sweden in swimming, including at the short course world and European championships. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Jan 2021; ec2018results.com, 01 Sep 2018) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Family | Partner Jessica Eriksson |