This resurgence is being propelled by the clash of two big rival training groups that use the Moana Pool, in Dunedin.
Coach Andy Adair's Waves club has more than 100 swimmers, and the Otago Swimming Coaching Academy (Osca) has come into the spotlight in the past months.
It is coached by former Ukraine junior team coach Gennadiy Labara and it stole the show at the weekend when its swimmers set 16 Otago records.
Six swimmers set the records at the weekend and four of them are members of the Osca squad with the other two in the smaller third Otago squad coached by Punch Tremaine.
Mr Labara is the successor to Laing, who coached Danyon Loader to two Olympic gold medals in 1996.
He proved a point at the weekend when Han Zhang broke the boys aged 10 and 11 200m butterfly record to gain the 100th Otago record for the squad since he took charge 30 months ago.
