Bold move, bigger dreams: Lewis Clareburt is leaving New Zealand to chase an Olympic medal in Los Angeles 2028.
This afternoon, the two-time Olympian announced he will relocate from Auckland to Melbourne in January 2026 to join the Nunawading Swim Club. Under the guidance of renowned coach Jolyon Finck, Clareburt will train alongside fellow medley specialists who are also working toward Olympic-level success.
The 26-year-old, who won the 400m Individual Medley at the 2024 World Championships, has previously claimed double Commonwealth Games gold in the 400m medley and the 200m butterfly at Birmingham 2022, and he reached the 400m individual medley final at Tokyo 2020.
“I’m aiming to build a powerful medley training group in Melbourne,” Clareburt stated. “Right now, a highly successful medley squad exists in the United States that dominates on the world stage. If medley swimmers from Australia and New Zealand want to stand on the podium, we need a comparable powerhouse in the southern hemisphere, and that’s what I’m working toward.”
He added that training alongside a seasoned group every day will help him continue progressing, while also embracing a personal milestone: at 26, leaving his homeland to live and train abroad with his partner and experience a new culture.
Clareburt also expressed gratitude to his Auckland team, praising head coach Mitch Nairn and his physiotherapy and strength-and-conditioning support crew. He emphasized that he will still race for New Zealand and plans to return home frequently for competitions and camps, balancing a fresh challenge with familiar commitments.
Swimming New Zealand’s high-performance head, Graeme Maw, welcomed the news, expressing enthusiasm for Clareburt’s ongoing development and his podium ambitions in LA. Maw noted the federation’s strong, supportive relationship with Clareburt and with his Melbourne-based coach, underscoring continued SNZ backing as he targets upcoming pinnacle events.
But here’s where it gets controversial: does relocating training hubs across continents dilute national teams’ cohesion, or does it catalyze breakthroughs that elevate teams back home? What side of the debate do you lean toward when an athlete seeks global expertise to enhance regional potential? Share your thoughts in the comments.
If you’d like more context on how this kind move shapes international swimming dynamics, or if you want a side-by-side comparison of training environments in Melbourne versus US hubs, I can break it down with examples and data.
