From Europe to Australia – Predrag Mihailovic on Olympic Coaching, Adaptability & Team Building

“You Have to Be Open-Minded and Flexible as a Coach” – Predrag
Mihailovic on Coaching Australia, Olympic Preparation & Modern
Water Polo In this episode of the Waterpolo Expert Talk, Predrag
Mihailovic, head coach of the Australian Women’s National Team,
shares deep insights into his work during the final preparation
phase for the Olympic Games. Speaking directly from the national
training camp in Australia, he offers a rare behind-the-scenes look
at how an Olympic team is built under extremely challenging
conditions. Mihailovic explains how emotional the Olympic team
nomination was for both players and coaches. Selecting the final
squad is one of the hardest tasks for a national coach, as many
outstanding athletes have to be left out. At the same time, the
announcement of the Olympic team represents the emotional reward
for years of dedication, sacrifices and relentless daily work. A
central topic of the episode is the mixture of experience and youth
within the Australian Olympic squad. With highly experienced
players alongside very young debutants, the team combines
leadership, calmness and hunger for success. Mihailovic describes
how this balance is essential for long tournament formats like the
Olympics. He also speaks openly about the differences between
coaching men and women at elite level. While the foundation of the
sport remains the same, communication, emotional leadership and
training approach must be adapted carefully. For Mihailovic, the
key question is always how to get the best possible performance out
of the team he has, not by copying systems from other countries but
by adjusting philosophy to mentality, lifestyle and cultural
background. Another important topic is the impact of the Corona
pandemic on Olympic preparation. Australia followed a unique
approach with state-based institutes, centralized performance
standards and recurring national camps. Due to strict travel
restrictions, the team had no official international matches and
prepared almost exclusively through internal test games and special
match simulations against male youth teams. Mihailovic also
reflects on the huge differences between Europe and Australia in
daily training routines, lifestyle and sporting infrastructure.
Early-morning training sessions starting at 5 a.m., long commuting
distances and the combination of elite sport with work or
university are part of everyday life for Australian athletes. This
required a completely different planning logic compared to European
full-time professional environments. A strong message of the
interview is the importance of open-minded coaching. Mihailovic
explains why modern coaches must constantly learn, watch
international matches, exchange ideas and adapt their concepts
instead of sticking to rigid systems. The era of “copy-and-paste
coaching” is over. Today’s water polo demands permanent adaptation.
Towards the end of the episode, he speaks about the Olympic Games
without spectators, the emotional difference compared to previous
Olympics and the completely new atmosphere athletes will experience
in Tokyo. Despite all uncertainties, one thing remains unchanged:
an Olympic medal is still an Olympic medal, no matter the
circumstances. This episode provides a deep, honest and
international insight into Olympic-level coaching, the challenges
of pandemic preparation, modern leadership in women’s water polo
and the mindset required to succeed at the very highest level. More
about the podcast: https://www.schulzekopp.de ️ Subscribe to the
Waterpolo Expert Talk for exclusive international insights into
elite coaching and Olympic preparation.