An Australian Olympic swim coach could be sent home from the Paris Games for publicly stating he hopes a star South Korean athlete defeats the Dolphins.
Michael Palfrey, one of eight coaches on the Australian swim team under head coach Rohan Taylor, has told Australian officials he’s sorry for his comments to Korean media.
Palfrey told Korean television he hopes South Korea’s Kim Woo-min wins the men’s 400m freestyle in Paris – an event contested by Australian duo Sam Short and Elijah Winnington.
“I really hope he can win but ultimately I really hope he swims well,” Palfrey told Korean media, before ending the interview by saying: “Go Korea.”
Swimming Australia’s head coach Taylor described the comments as “un-Australian” and he’s considering expelling Palfrey from the Olympics.
“I am extremely disappointed,” Taylor told reporters on Thursday.
“For a coach on our team to promote another athlete ahead of our athletes is not acceptable.”
Taylor wants to decide Palfrey’s tenure at the Paris Games as soon as possible. Competition at the pool starts on Saturday.
“He either goes home or he stays, that’s the options,” Taylor said.
“And it’s what is the impact on performance of the team.
“If he goes home we have to find other coaches to pick up the load on the athletes and our coaches are really stretched – and is that in the athletes’ best interest?
“That’s one consideration.
“If he stays, then it’s about the team dynamic and making sure that the (other) coaches are happy with that and can support that and the athletes themselves can go about their business and not be distracted.
“He made an error and I told him that I don’t appreciate it … it was an un-Australian comment.
“Does that mean that he’s unworthy of looking after the three athletes he has coached for the last three years to this point, who rely on him to prepare them for the performance?
“That is what I’ve got to weigh up.”
Australia’s Olympic chef de mission Anna Meares said Palfrey’s comments were “a conflict and a serious error of judgment”.
“He is very aware and very sorry for what has occurred,” Meares told reporters on Thursday.
Meares said she would back the decision Taylor made.
“We won’t be stepping in over the top of Swimming Australia,” she said.
Palfrey works with Australian swimmers Zac Incerti, Abbey Connor and Alex Perkins.
He has also mentored South Korean swimmers including Kim, who won 400m freestyle at the world championships in Qatar in February.
Taylor said Australian coaches were given “guidelines” in March to end any association with non-Australian swimmers before the Paris Olympics.
© AAP
