LCDR Michael Hickey (Acting CO HMAS PENGUIN), Tracey Johnstone, Larrs Kleppich, CPOB Steve Van Prooyen, Brendan Todd ( Mistral Class Coach), Front left to right: LSBM Patrick Crosbie, Jessica Crisp (Australian Representative Women's Mistral Class), MIDN Teneile Jenkins.

Regular readers of Navy News will be aware that HMAS PENGUIN will be playing a major support role for the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

"PENGUIN personnel are extremely proud to support the Olympics," Executive Officer, LCDR Michael Hichey, said.

"At PENGUIN we have been very active in preparing for the Sydney games.

"The Establishment has an important connection with the Australian Olympic Sailing Team and in addition it will be a focal point in the military preparations for Operations Golden Flame and Gold".

PENGUIN's contribution to our Olympic sailors is now long standing, providing a venue fol. Olympic training and selection trails.

With the assistance from the staff at PENGUIN and the Department of Defence, the AYF's Olympic Sydney Training Base was established at PENGUIN in September 1997.

The training area utilises under lease arrangements facilities for equipment storage and testing, with an administration area which houses the six coaching staff, physiotherapist and the sports science co-ordinator.

Additional areas were set up for squad debriefing and video analysis.

A jib crane was installed by the AYF on the PENGUIN wharf to lift the two keel boat class, while the wharf finger has provided mooring facilities for the teams six coaching boats.

Larrs Kleppich, Australian representative in the Mistral men's class for the 2000 Olympic Games had this to say about the training site:

"The facilities at HMAS PENGUIN have been fantastic.

"I have utilised the facility to its fullest and having the gym, pool., storage, showers and meeting rooms all in the one place has made things easier for my campaign.
"It is the first time that the Australian sailing team has had such a headquarters and is invaluable in bringing us together in one place so we can work together."

A typical. week consists of training at the base up to five times.

The training normally consists of working out in the PENGUIN gym in the morning, followed by a briefing session with their coach and then onto the water until late afternoon before returning to the base for a daily debriefing and video reviews.

"There is no doubt in the minds of these athletes who have been lucky enough to utilise the facilities at HMAS PENGUIN, that without this facility they would not have been able to pursue such a successful elite training program," Tracey Johnstone, AYF manager, said.

"The competition results of all our squad members bears this out with the performance curve from September 1997 to now, showing a significant improvement in performance across all classes which is attributed to a carefully planned program delivered through the support of all the staff at HMAS PENGUIN."

PENGUTN is also involved in the Olympic Games underneath the water.

On the operational side the RAN clearance divers, based in PENGUIN are involved in the games under the command and control of JTF 112 BRIG Byles.

Both AUSCDT ONE and AUSCDT FOUR will provide s total of 83 personnel for diving duties conducting high risk search (HRS), low risk search (LRS) and the disposal of any devices in the Olympic waterway venues.

COMAUSNAVMCDGRP is providing 14 personnel for watchkeeping in various HQs.

The diving operations will be controlled from the Bomb Management Control Centre (BMCC) at the Sydney Police Centre where all pre-planned or short notice searches will be tasked from the BMCC to the Diving Operations Control Centre (DOCC) in the operations room in WATERHEN.

CDT One and the RAN Diving School located at PENGUIN are providing 12 senior sailors to the Joint Incident Response Unit (JIRU) as Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD) operators.

These personnel commence duties at the JIRU on July 15, until the end of the Paralympics.