BILL ROSE TO LEAD JUNIORS AT FINA WORLD CUP MEETS Assisted by Coach Ron Aitken Sandpipers of Nevada.

Bill Rose, head coach of the Mission Viejo (Calif.) Nadadores, has been selected as the head coach for a group of 19 of the nation’s top 18-and-under swimmers who will represent USA Swimming next month at FINA World Cup events in Tokyo and Beijing. 

Twice named Developmental Coach of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee (2006, 2008), Rose has a wealth of international coaching experience with USA Swimming in addition to his work at Mission Viejo. 

Ron Aitken of the Sandpipers of Nevada will serve as the team’s assistant coach. Sandpiper swimmer now attending University of Indiana will also be competing in the World Cup event

The U.S. swimmers will compete Nov. 9-10 in Tokyo and Nov. 13-14 in Beijing. Visit  fina.org for complete World Cup information. 

Headlining the roster for the events are Kathleen Baker (Winston-Salem, N.C.), Gunnar Bentz (Atlanta, Ga.) and Katie McLaughlin (Dana Point, Calif.), who won four medals each at the 2013 FINA World Junior Championships in Dubai. A complete roster is available  here. 

This trip marks the third consecutive year USA Swimming has sent a top team of juniors to face top international competition at FINA World Cup events with demonstrated benefits for these swimmers’ development. 

Roughly 94 percent of the 2011 and 2012 18-and-under World Cup athletes have gone on to represent the U.S. at other international competitions with 75 percent earning medals. In the last two years, five of these athletes have competed at either the Olympic Games or FINA World Championships, with four winning an individual or relay medal.