Reading Swimming Club issued the following press release on 5th September:

Reading Swimming Club has announced that head coach Stephen Hill is leaving the club with immediate effect to take up the post of head coach at City of Glasgow Swimming Club.

Australian Hill has been with Reading since 1995 and has achieved particular success as a distance coach, culminating in Rebecca Cooke's achievement of fifth place in the 1500 metres freestyle and sixth in the 800 metres at July 's world championships in Japan.

Rebecca's successes have led to Stephen playing an increasing role at national level as specialist women's distance coach to the British team, with regular overseas travel for competitions and training camps. Though this has always been done with the club's blessing, it has become increasingly hard for the club to justify the regular absences of its only full-time employee to its membership.

The new job offers Stephen an exciting challenge with a big city club at a 50-metre pool, and gives Reading's coaching staff an equally exciting opportunity to build on the successful programme the club has followed during his spell here.

With the emphasis in British swimming increasingly being placed on events of 200 metres and upwards, Stephen's time in Reading has left the club in good stead for his successor, to be named in due course, to take it further forward.

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