Ridley To Coach Taner, Turks In Olympics

Jack Ridley, longtime coach of Mercer Island's Chinook Swim Club, will be the head coach of the Turkish men's national swim team during the Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, this summer.

Ridley's star student, Newport High's Ugur Taner, will compete for Turkey on what is currently a three-man Olympic contingent.

"It's an opportunity as a swimming coach that everybody wants - to coach, no matter who you're working with, at an Olympic level," Ridley said. "There's just nothing like being at the Olympic Games."

Ridley was at the 1972 Games in Munich, Germany. He accompanied his student, Jo Harshbarger, whom he later married.

"That was my second year of coaching," he said. "I thought I could coach my whole life and never have another (swimmer) at the Olympics."

Ridley was asked by the Turkish Swimming Federation to accompany Taner to an international meet in Belgium last summer, but he had to back out at the last minute because of club obligations. When Taner turned in a strong performance at the meet, the federation wanted him for its Olympic team - and wanted Ridley, too.

He and Taner will travel to Turkey in July to begin team

training.