Australia to bounce back after London flop

Under-fire head coach Leigh Nugent expects to keep his job and says Australia's swimmers can bounce back in time for the 2016 Rio Games after their underwhelming performance at the London Olympics. Australia's return of one gold medal, six silver and three bronze was their lowest since Barcelona in 1992 and went without an individual gold medallist for the first time since the 1972 Montreal Games. Nugent, accused by his predecessor Don Talbot of being too soft on his swimmers, had predicted prior to the Olympics that Australia could win between 13 and 15 medals in London. "Ten medals for us, only one gold out of that is disappointing," Nugent told reporters after the completion of the swimming competition. "But I think from what we can see there was spread of medals across our events and our relays have held us in stead here. "That indicates to me there is depth in the team and we have got something to build with going from now to Barcelona (world championships) next year. "That will be the first event of the quadrennium and we'll go back and set our plans for that." Yet such were the below-par performances in the pool that Nugent may come under pressure to stay in the job he has occupied on and off since 2004, when he was plucked from the position of junior development coach. "It's up to other people to determine that," Nugent said when asked about whether he would hold his role. "I'm going to do the job I feel I can do and if someone feels I should go, then moves would be put in place, I would think, if there were enough who thought that." Nugent extended his contract with Swimming Australia in February and is slated to be at the helm through the next Olympics in Rio. Talbot, who oversaw Australia's stellar campaign at the 2000 Sydney Olympics when the host nation won 18 medals, five of them gold, said Nugent was too gentle on his swimmers and wants him to toughen up. "Don and I have had a relationship for a long time," Nugent said. "I value his comments, but nice guys can make tough decisions." Nugent said the pressure of the big occasion was a factor in Australia's demise. "We had a team of stars a few years ago and Maggie (James Magnussen) is the guy that everyone's hung on to here. He's had enormous amount of pressure on him," Nugent said. "If we can build around that, hopefully there are some other people on the way." World champion Magnussen was pipped to the Olympic gold by American Nathan Adrian by one-hundredth of a second in the 100m freestyle final just days after Australia's medal-less flop in the 4x100m freestyle relay, where Magnussen swam below par in the lead-off swim.ad. A worthy, potential successor has been truly unearthed, coached at the Racers Track Club in Kingston by Glen Mills, the same man who has overseen Bolt's transformation into one of global sport's most marketable names.