From September 1st on, Amsterdam (The Netherlands) will have his own professional swim team, as an answer to the team in Eindhoven where Pieter van den Hoogenband and Inge de Bruijn are swimming. Chef d'ambition Cees Vervoorn (multiple Olympic swimmer and coach) build up this swim team named 'Top Zwemmen Amsterdam' (Top Swimming Amsterdam), together with Michiel Bloem and Hans Elzerman. Coach of this team with 7 members will be Fedor Hes, a young talented coach, who has been the assistant coach of Ad van der Ven (2000 Olympic coach) at AZ&PC Amersfoort the last few years. They are going to set up an individualized program for the swimmers that has to guide them to the 2004 Olympics.

Breaststroker Benno Kuipers will be the most experienced swimmer of the team, since the European championships of Vienna (1995) his international career went up till his 6th place at the 200m breaststroke at the World Championships in Perth (1998). Last year has been disappointed for him because he suffered some serious injuries. The second swimmer of TZA is Ewout Holst, he has shown his talent on butterfly with a 6th place at the 50 fly in Fukuoka, promising for the next European Championships in Antwerp (Belgium). He is also a good freestyler and has been very valuable in relays at international championships.

Johan Kenkhuis is a real relay swimmer, he was part of the silver 400 freestyle relay in Fukuoka and the silver 800 freestyle relay at the Olympics in Sydney. So far, he has only gained individual success at the European Youth Championships in Antwerp (1998), placed first in both 100 and 200 freestyle. Backstroker Sander Ganzevles won at the European Youth Championships Dunkerque (2000) on all 3 backstroke events a medal, he made finals on the 200 backstroke at the 2000 European Championships (LC). Because of an injury going into the Trials, he didn't make the World Championships this year.

Young Thijs van Valkengoed is a real breaststroke talent, at the last two EYC's he gathered 3 golden medals at this stroke. Besides swimming he also starts a study Economics at the Johan Cruijf University in Amsterdam. Robin van Aggele is with his 17 years, the youngest swimmer of the team. On his first EYC in Malta this year, he ranked 4th at the 200 IM. Next year at the EYC he wants to get his first results of him joining this team. Only female swimmer of this team is 18-years old Chantal Groot. She set her name at the EYC at Antwerp with gold on the 100 fly and silver at the 100 freestyle. At the European Championships at Istanbul (LC) she bronzed her 50 fly. The last year has been a little bit disappointed for her, not making finals at the 50 fly in Fukuoka.

The team is going to work out in the new 50-meter Sloterparkbad in Amsterdam and in the 1500 square meter gym next to it. Also they're going to work together with the Spanish swim team Sabadell, coached by the successful Dutch coach Paulus Wildeboer. They are planning on sharing facilities and knowledge, especially during training camps.