Olympic Champion Fairweather (re)debuts as Australian coach

Simon Fairweather is back as the figurehead of Australian archery.

The national federation announced in March that the Sydney 2000 Olympic Champion would take up, for the second time in his career, the post of Australian head coach. This week in Shanghai, he makes his return to (and behind) the international shooting line.

The timing makes for a poetic reunion. Australia will host another Olympics in just seven years.

“It seems both a long way off, with so much to do in the meantime. But from experience, I know that it will be around the corner in no time,” he says.

“We have plenty to do.”

A five-time Olympian who made his debut at the Games in 1988 – but delivered that home win on his fourth attempt, Simon’s experience spans several generations of the sport. He won the World Archery Championships in 1991, pre-matchplay at the Olympics, and lived the shift from long days of shooting arrows at distance to the fast-paced head-to-head competition of today.

Simon retired from competition after Athens, in 2004, then spent his first stint as national coach in 2009, before taking time away from archery.

His return to the international scene has been steady, even measured.

First, developing a new type of finger tab, then shooting barebow (quickly internationally, of course), before his tab brand became popular worldwide. There were some private coaching engagements in Australia – and last summer, he was quietly seen back on the Olympic sideline in Paris, this time as a sport analyst.

But his appointment as head coach in Australia is not quiet. It’s important.

“Coaching can be a tough job and I‘ve not done this before considerable thought. Things have changed so much and I am very optimistic that we can take our sport to new places,” he says.

The change in performance sports culture – from individuals to national teams – has been significant worldwide. Funding, too, has changed.

“For a time those things were aligned. Today it’s not so simple,” says Simon.

“The challenge for individual athletes trying to balance training loads and responsibilities with the cost of living and funding is harder than ever. Now is the time for a rethink.”

“Since my last time as Australian coach, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on what went wrong and why. I’d come to a point where I felt that if I was starting again, I would play things differently.”

“I’m grateful that Archery Australia has given me that opportunity.”

Choosing a head coach for a national archery team is a very difficult task. Aside from the requirements for technical knowledge, experience and understanding of the challenges faced by athletes, there is the undeniable challenge of culture fit.

For Australia Archery, Simon Fairweather fits.

The only challenge now is delivering results on the competition field.