NEW South Wales Institute of Sport sports scientist Ryan Hodierne has joined a growing list of experts willing to back James Magnussen.
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Hodierne was in Port Macquarie during the week casting an eye over the dual world champion as preparations for the Commonwealth Games continue.
So what exactly does the new face in the Magnussen camp do?
He analyses a performance and tells an athlete where they can be more efficient and has worked with South African Olympic Games gold medallists Roland Schoeman, Chad le Clos and Cameron van der Burgh.
Most recently he worked with Singapore’s Joseph Schooling when he won gold in the men’s 100-metre butterfly at Rio.
“At this stage, it’s still early days, I’ve been at NSWIS for just over two months and this phase for me is an observation phase and understanding the lie of the land,” Hodierne said.
With the Commonwealth Games just around the corner, the biomechanist said it’s easy to “get in and try to start and change things.”
“But for now I’m going to sit back and add tidbits or touch points that will make a difference in the short term,” he said.
The main reward for an elite sportsmen such as Magnussen was with fine-tuning small parts of his swim and it all adds up.
As the 26-year-old continues to chase times set by Kyle Chalmers, Cam McEvoy and James Roberts, any small win is still a win.
“We need to find out where those portions of opportunity are that we can fine-tune and we might pick up tenths or hundredths of a second over 50-metres,” Hodierne said.
“But when you’re bagging little bits of time here and there, when you put all those pennies in your back pocket it might add up to $1 or $10.”
The NSWIS biomechanist said Magnussen was swimming “some of the best freestyle I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“I’m convinced a swimmer like Maggie is capable or more than we realise at this stage,” he said.
“He’s in tune with what he needs to do to swim 47 low.
The London Olympic Games silver medallist will wrap up his two-week training camp in Port Macquarie this weekend.