Olympian Bryan joins S. Korea as diving coach ahead of Asian Games

Going east: Former national diver Bryan Nickson Lomas (back, third from left) has taken up the position as coach of the South Korean diving team.

PETALING JAYA: Olympian Bryan Nickson Lomas is set to be Malaysian diving’s No. 1 ‘enemy’ at the Asian Games next year.

This is because Bryan, Malaysia Aquatics’ former technical director, has started a new job as the coach with South Korea and under his guidance, expect them to make life difficult for Malaysia during the Games in Aichi-Nagoya in Japan next year.

His first overseas assignment with South Korea however will be the World Championships in Singapore from July 26-Aug 3.

The 34-year-old Sarawakian is the second former international diver to coach overseas after Wendy Ng Yan Yee, who is currently a talent development coach with Singapore Aquatics.

For Bryan, a coaching contract that runs until the 2026 Asian Games was too good an offer to pass.

The first test in Singapore will be a challenge but he is relishing it.

“South Korea seldom take in foreign coaches, so this is a good experience for me to broaden my coaching skills,” said Bryan.

“I previously coached in Kuwait but this will be a different challenge altogether.

“The national diving training centre is in Jincheon, about 90 minutes drive from Seoul, so I am still getting used to things here,” he said.

Bryan was a member of the Malaysian diving team for 12 years and competed at three Olympics between 2004 and 2012.

He then trained to become a qualified diving judge and coach before serving as the diving technical director for Malaysia Aquatics since early 2023.

Bryan is looking forward to his first world meet as a coach.

He previously represented Malaysia in the platform discipline in four world championships between 2005 and 2011. His best outing was finishing seventh in the 10m platform individual final in Melbourne in 2007.

“The South Korean squad are not as strong as last year. I can say Malaysian team look stronger than South Korea.

“But national team selection next year will be different. The Asian Games will be the most important assignment,” added Bryan, who will surely be plotting to guide South Korean diving team to again finish ahead of Malaysia and hosts Japan at the Asian Games.

For the record, South Korea claimed two silver and four bronze medals in diving in Hangzhou two years ago while Malaysia managed one silver and four bronzes.

Japan took home one silver and two bronze medals. China topped the tables with 10 gold and six silver medals.