Australian Olympic Swimming Coach Under Fire for Favoring South Korean Rival
In Paris, an Australian Olympic swimming coach stirred up controversy when he expressed his hope for South Korean swimmer Kim Woo-min to outperform Australian competitors Sam Short and Elijah Winnington in the men's 400m freestyle event, BBC reported. Michael Palfrey, who coaches both part of the Australian team and works with Woo-min, has been reprimanded by the Australian Olympic Committee for what they consider a "serious error of judgment."
Palfrey's comments in an interview have raised concerns within the Australian team. He stated, "There will be three or four of them in the race that think they can win it. I think it's going to come down to that last 100 meters. We need Woo-min to lift, that's what I'll be saying to him. He's got to race tough. I really hope he can win, but ultimately I really hope he swims well," according to SMH.
The Australian team's chef de mission, Anna Meares, described Palfrey's remarks as a "surprise and a shock." Head swimming coach Rohan Taylor will have a discussion with Palfrey regarding potential consequences for his comments, considering the impact they could have on the Australian athletes.
While it is not uncommon for Olympic swimming coaches to work with athletes from different nations on a freelance basis, Swimming Australia had instructed Olympic team coaches in April not to form new arrangements with foreign swimmers. However, Palfrey is currently coaching three Australian swimmers, namely Zac Incerti, Abbey Connor, and Alex Perkins, who are part of Australia's Olympic team. Additionally, he has been coaching other South Korean swimmers who have trained in Australia, including Kim Woo-min.
Coaching relationships need to prioritize the interests of high performance, well-being, and avoiding conflicts of interest. Palfrey's statements, favoring a non-Australian athlete in a competition against his own team members, have raised eyebrows and sparked a review of his role within the Australian Olympic team.
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