Australia’s top male relay sprinters have converged on the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra in a bid to improve their relay changeovers ahead of the 2011 World Championships and 2012 London Olympics.

Minister for Sport Mark Arbib today met with the sprinters including Eamon Sullivan, James Magnusson and Geoff Huegill, and reiterated the Government’s support for the swimming program.

'The Australian Government is doing everything possible to support Australia’s top swimmers, including extra funding for the Olympic team and increased support through the Australian Institute of Sport,' Senator Arbib said.

'Swimming received almost $11 million in support from the Government this year, including the recent $1 million boost to the training and preparations of Australia’s top swimmers under the Government’s Green and Gold project.

'The Green and Gold project is designed to help our athletes make the most of their training opportunities, doing the extra small things that will help turn fourth, fifth and sixth places into podium finishes and bronze medals into silver and gold medals.

'Camps like this one are a good example of doing everything we can to get the best results for our swimmers.

'We are committed to supporting the Australian Institute of Sport in its efforts to lead the nation’s high performance strategic direction, and today is a brilliant example of our sports using the world’s best facilities to prepare for the Olympic Games and beyond.

'The state-of-the-art pool facility at the AIS utilises the only ‘wet plate technology’ of its kind in the world, which was developed in-house at the AIS.'

Last year Swimming Australia received an additional $3 million per year on top of its existing annual high performance funding as part of the Government’s $23 million in extra high performance funding to sport.

'The Government will continue to work very closely with the AIS and Swimming Australia to support Australia’s elite swimmers as they strive to win Olympic and world championship gold.'

Senator Arbib also announced a $900,000 funding boost to increase participation in swimming at a grassroots level.

'The Government is supporting swimming at all levels – to achieve sustained international success, and encouraging the next generation of young swimmers to get the pool,' he said.

'This extra funding will encourage our kids to get off the Playstation and into the pool as well as helping to identify the next generation of Australian swimmers.

'The efforts of our London Olympians are sure to inspire the next generation of swimming stars and the extra kids swimming because of the funding could produce our next Geoff Huegill or Libby Trickett.'