GRENEWAY welcomed back one of their most successful sporting alumni last week – ex-GB swimmer Chris Tidey – for a series of swimming master classes with some of his Dubai Junior Swim team. Now coaching elite swimmers in Dubai, the former Greneway and Meri

GRENEWAY welcomed back one of their most successful sporting alumni last week - ex-GB swimmer Chris Tidey - for a series of swimming master classes with some of his Dubai Junior Swim team.

Now coaching elite swimmers in Dubai, the former Greneway and Meridian swimmer wanted to give something back to Greneway and contacted his former PE teacher Terry Graves who was only too pleased to organise opportunities for him and his talented swim team to work with Greneway's swimmers.

Chris and his charges demonstrated, raced and coached the Greneway swimmers first in a year seven curriculum lesson and then in a Gifted and Talented master class the next day for years five, six, seven and eight.

Velimir Stjepanovic, aged 15, is ranked number four in the world for junior 200m butterfly and helped six swimmers to improve their stroke and use of the wall. He said: "I really enjoyed being able to help such keen swimmers to develop."

Kevin Riazanov, 15, Frank Ryan, 15, and Cody Duncan, 16, who are here with Chris for the British National Junior Championships, worked with groups of six pupils each on breaststroke, front crawl and backstroke.

In the second session Chris and Velimir worked tirelessly with the squad swimmers and improved their strokes and focused on streamlining, breathing and arm and leg cycles. Chris reinforced the need for quality in every swim session by saying: "Quantity without quality will not improve our swimmers."

Chris and Velimir also held a question and answer session for the pupils before Mr Graves thanked Chris and his team for a truly World Class Coaching session.