With Coach Lars Humer Stepping Back, World Champion Erika Fairweather Relocates to Auckland
Swimming New Zealand announced on Monday that coach Lars Humer will “step back” from international coaching, with star pupil Erika Fairweather relocating to Auckland as a result.
Humer has coached in his hometown of Dunedin, on the country’s South Island, since the 1970s. He coached with Duncan Laing, the coach of Kiwi Olympic champion Danyon Loader. Humer has coached in Dunedin and Christchurch, along with stints working for British Swimming and Swim Ireland. He returned in 2018 to Dunedin, working there with Fairweather, a two-time Olympian who won gold in the 400 freestyle at the 2024 World Aquatics World Championships. It’s her sixth career Worlds medal (four long-course, two short-course).
With the change, Fairweather will relocate to the North Island and Auckland for her training. She’ll work with Graham Hill, the national team’s head coach, based out of North Shore Swimming Club.
Humer has coached a number of international swimmers, including Zac Reid. He’s a three-time Swimming New Zealand Coach of the Year. He will continue to coach at Swim Dunedin but won’t travel to international meets.
“It’s an absolute privilege to work with elite athletes, it’s definitely better than a real job,” Humer said in a Swimming NZ press release. “I’ve dedicated the last 25 years to High Performance sport and the Olympic calendar and coached at three Olympic and two Paralympic Games. I’m in my 60s now so I decided it’s time to catch my breath and do some things for me.”
“Lars has been an absolute stalwart of swimming in New Zealand,” Swimming New Zealand CEO Steve Johns said. “He has been a huge part of our success on the world stage and has fostered a love of swimming in the hundreds of swimmers that he’s coached. We cannot thank him enough for his contribution and are extremely pleased he will remain involved at a domestic level.”
