By Will Baxley on SwimSwam
Russian Swimming officially welcomed Andrey Shishin as the National Team’s new head coach, reportedly blindsiding former head coach Sergey Chepik in the process.
Shishin enters his new role with 15 years of national team experience. The 41-year-old became best known coaching double Olympic gold medalist Evgeny Rylov and European Champion Ivan Girev. Shishin also served as the head coach of the junior national team beginning in 2023.
The Russian Aquatics Federation announced Shishin’s appointment on its website on April 17 with a signed approval from the Russia’s Ministry of Sports dated April 7. However, the announcement says he began serving in a head coach capacity since 2024. The Federation nominated Shishin as former Head Coach Sergey Chepik’s contract for the position expired.
In early January, Russian state-run news outlet Matchtv spoke with Chepik about the transition. He said he wasn’t aware that he would be replaced and even alleged that he was ousted without authorization.
“I did not leave my post. No one asked me, moreover, I wrote a statement to continue my activities to Korotyshkin [Evgeny Korotyshkin, Federation Vice President], but it was not even voiced. The procedure for nominating candidates for the post of head coach was violated, the competition was not announced, the programs were not heard, the decision was made by a suddenly created committee, which does not have the authority to nominate a head coach.”
Chepik went on to criticize decisions about other Federation leadership appointments.
“Now, decisions are made in the federation by former athletes who at one time trained abroad and never believed in the domestic training system.”
One person Chepik could be targeting in this statement is Sergei Fesikov. A 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, Fesikov was began working as the sports director for swimming within the Federation earlier this year. For part of his career, the now-36-year-old trained at A.D.N. Swim Project in Italy.
Fesikov and Shishin mark two of several leadership changes at the federation as Russia enters the 2028 Olympic cycle. Olga Feoktiskova stepped into the head diving coach role earlier this year, and Radmir Gabdullin began working as the Federation’s new Secretary General.
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