Australian team head coaches sign on until Tokyo

Water Polo Australia is pleased to announce Australian Team Head Coaches, Elvis Fatovic (men’s) and Predrag Mihailovic (women’s) have extended their contracts through until the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Both coaches have been working tirelessly during the COVID-19 pandemic to put in place training programs for their squads that have been separated across Australia and the globe as well as develop strategies for the next 12 months in the build up to the Tokyo Games.

WPA CEO, Richard McInnes, said he is pleased to be able to retain both coaches through to the Tokyo Olympics.

“The postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games not only threw a curve ball for our athletes, but all the support staff that help get our teams ready, including our coaches,” said McInnes.

“To have Elvis and Predrag signed on until the Tokyo Olympic Games provides both squads with certainty and consistency, to ensure they are able to build on the great success they have already achieved during this Olympic cycle.

“While we are yet to know what the international calendar and build up to the Tokyo Games will look like, our coaches and support staff will continue to look at innovative ways to work with their respective squads in their different daily training environments, to ensure we are as prepared as best possible,” he said.

Fatovic has overseen the Aussie Sharks program since 2013 and is pleased to continue to work with the squad through to the Tokyo Olympic Games. This last Olympic cycle saw the Aussie Sharks create history when they won silver at the FINA World Cup and more recently bronze at the FINA World League Super Final.

“The circumstances around COVID-19 has pushed everything back a year, but I’m really happy with how the team has been growing, especially in the last two years. It’s another year for everyone and I’ve been enjoying working with this group, so for me it was a very easy decision [to extend],” said Fatovic.

“At the moment we are working through different options in the lead up to Tokyo… health is obviously the most important priority right now.

“Our squads are back training, wherever they are based and we have athletes in Australia as well as overseas. We hope we can be together again in September, but we will have plans in place either way.

“For us the biggest challenge will be long periods without games. But everyone at the moment has that challenge.

“We’ve become very competitive against all countries in the last few years. In comparison to Rio, I think there will be 8 or 9 nations that will be competitive once we reach Tokyo,” he said.

Since Mihailvoic stepped into the Head Coach role for the Aussie Stingers in 2019, after serving as the assistant coach, the team went on to achieve a bronze medal at the FINA World Championships.

"These circumstances give us an opportunity to see what we could do better. It's so great to have this chance with a great group of athletes who are very talented and very passionate so I'm excited for the next 12 months,” said Mihailvoic.

"I'm very lucky to have the staff around me who have so much knowledge about water polo and it's a pleasure to work with them.

"We've set ourselves a high target for the future, but in saying that we're taking the time to analyse ourselves and every day we are trying to be better than yesterday.

“We're also taking some time to think about what will happen after Tokyo and starting to establish some plans around that,” he said.

Mihailvoic recently named his squad of 20 athletes for the next 12 months, while the men’s squad of 17 that has been in place for some time, will remain in place.