Australian coach Denis Cotterell said in Beijing on Monday that he believed his new student, China's rising swim star Zhang Lin, will get the best out of himself at the Beijing Games.

"He is working very hard for the best result and I hope for the best result for him," said Cotterell, who will soon witness the competition between Zhang and his former student, Australian legend Grant Hackett.

Cotterell, who tutored Hackett to two Olympic gold medals, was invited by China to direct the Chinese swimmers for the Olympics.

The first Chinese swimmer being allowed to train outside China, 20-year-old Zhang is considered one of China's hope of a men's medal in the pool. These expectations stemmed from times he set after spending three months of 2008 training in Australia with Cotterell.

At the Chinese swimming Olympic Trials in April, Zhang swam a national record of 3 minutes 44.97 seconds in the 400-meter freestyle (Hackett swam 3:43.15 at the Olympic trials), and narrowly missed the Asian record in the 1,500 meters when he swam 14:55.98.

"This guy [Zhang] is improving, and I'm just hoping I do a good enough job to not have a billion Chinese get their hopes up and have them dashed," Cotterell was quoted as saying earlier by the Australian media.

The idea of sending Zhang to train with Cotterell was contemplated four years ago when the Chinese head coach met with Cotterell at the Athens Olympics. At last year's world championships in Melbourne, he was again contacted by the Chinese and asked if Zhang could come out for a period, which he finally did at the end of last year.

Cotterell said there is no further plan between him and the Chinese swimming association. "That's up to them. But I will work with them for sure (if they ask). They are good people and they have the potential to get better."

But the coach said Chinese swimmers will have to go to Australia to train with his club.

"I have my own squad at home. I cannot move. My club in Australia is important for me. I have the young kids for the future of Australia. I have to look after them."

Cotterell has coached 16 swimmers to the Olympics, guided countless others to state and national titles. Four of his swimmers: Grant Hackett, Daniel Kowalski, Giaan Rooney and Andrew Baildon have won Olympic medals.

It is reported that Cotterell has turned down six figure salary offers to coach in the United States because he does not want to desert his Miami squad.

Cotterell remains close to Hackett despite the champion's defection in 2007. On Hackett's chance of repeating gold in Beijing, Cotterell said he talked with Hackett a few years ago and the Olympic champion is in good shape. "I hope he would win."

(Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2008)