From Europe to Australia – Predrag Mihailovic on Olympic Coaching, Adaptability & Team Building

“You Have to Be Open-Minded and Flexible as a Coach” – Predrag Mihailovic on Coaching Australia, Olympic Preparation & Modern Water Polo

In this episode of the Waterpolo Expert Talk, Predrag Mihailovic, head coach of the Australian Women’s National Team, shares deep insights into his work during the final preparation phase for the Olympic Games. Speaking directly from the national training camp in Australia, he offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how an Olympic team is built under extremely challenging conditions.

Mihailovic explains how emotional the Olympic team nomination was for both players and coaches. Selecting the final squad is one of the hardest tasks for a national coach, as many outstanding athletes have to be left out. At the same time, the announcement of the Olympic team represents the emotional reward for years of dedication, sacrifices and relentless daily work.
A central topic of the episode is the mixture of experience and youth within the Australian Olympic squad. With highly experienced players alongside very young debutants, the team combines leadership, calmness and hunger for success. Mihailovic describes how this balance is essential for long tournament formats like the Olympics.

He also speaks openly about the differences between coaching men and women at elite level. While the foundation of the sport remains the same, communication, emotional leadership and training approach must be adapted carefully. For Mihailovic, the key question is always how to get the best possible performance out of the team he has, not by copying systems from other countries but by adjusting philosophy to mentality, lifestyle and cultural background.
Another important topic is the impact of the Corona pandemic on Olympic preparation. Australia followed a unique approach with state-based institutes, centralized performance standards and recurring national camps. Due to strict travel restrictions, the team had no official international matches and prepared almost exclusively through internal test games and special match simulations against male youth teams.

Mihailovic also reflects on the huge differences between Europe and Australia in daily training routines, lifestyle and sporting infrastructure. Early-morning training sessions starting at 5 a.m., long commuting distances and the combination of elite sport with work or university are part of everyday life for Australian athletes. This required a completely different planning logic compared to European full-time professional environments.

A strong message of the interview is the importance of open-minded coaching. Mihailovic explains why modern coaches must constantly learn, watch international matches, exchange ideas and adapt their concepts instead of sticking to rigid systems. The era of “copy-and-paste coaching” is over. Today’s water polo demands permanent adaptation.
Towards the end of the episode, he speaks about the Olympic Games without spectators, the emotional difference compared to previous Olympics and the completely new atmosphere athletes will experience in Tokyo. Despite all uncertainties, one thing remains unchanged: an Olympic medal is still an Olympic medal, no matter the circumstances.

This episode provides a deep, honest and international insight into Olympic-level coaching, the challenges of pandemic preparation, modern leadership in women’s water polo and the mindset required to succeed at the very highest level.