An Australian swimming coach recently came under fire for supporting an athlete who will be competing for another country at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Head coach Rohan Taylor has described Michael Palfrey’s public support for South Korean swimmer Kim Woo-min as “un-Australian”. Taylor also suggested Palfrey could be forced to return to Australia before the Olympic swimming competition begins this weekend.
This year, the swimmers will compete at the Defense Arena in the western suburbs of Paris. “I’m very disappointed. I’m very disappointed,” Taylor said. “It’s unacceptable that the coach of our team would put other swimmers above our swimmers.”
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Australia team head coach Rohan Taylor speaks to media during the Australia Team Swimming press conference in the Main Press Centre ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France on July 25, 2024. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Palfrey is part of Australia’s Olympic staff, overseeing the preparation of three swimmers and coaching a fourth, but he previously coached Kim, the reigning world champion in the 400m freestyle from South Korea.
In an interview with a South Korean television station, Palfrey said he was rooting for Kim to win the gold medal in her event on the first day of swimming competition.
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“I really hope he wins, but ultimately I really hope he swims well,” Palfrey said, adding, “Good luck Korea.”
Taylor said Palfrey later apologised for what was perceived as an error of judgement, but added that he would meet with the Australian players to discuss whether he should continue in charge in Paris.
“For me, it’s all about team performance, player performance,” Taylor said. “I have to look at how the team performs and make a decision based on that.”
South Korea’s Kim Woo-min celebrates after winning the gold medal in the men’s 400m freestyle final during the 10th day of the Doha 2024 World Aquatics Championships at the Aspire Dome in Doha, Qatar on February 11, 2024. (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Australia has two favourites for gold in the 400m freestyle: 2023 world champion Sam Short and 2022 world champion Elijah Winnington.
It’s not uncommon for coaches to work with players from other countries: One of America’s top coaches, Bob Bowman, heads a training group that includes French star Leon Marchand.
Australian swimmers and coaches check out the pool at La Defense Arena ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
But with the Olympics looming, Taylor said it was completely unacceptable for Australian coaches to show support for swimmers from other countries.
“We confronted him with the details of that,” Taylor said, “and he admitted to it and took responsibility for it. He’s very remorseful and we’re currently addressing it.”
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But Australian swimmer Bronte Campbell, who is competing in her fourth Olympic Games, said the controversy had “hardly caused a ripple” within the powerhouse team.
“When you’re competing in the Olympics, it’s all about conserving your energy. It’s a big, long, emotional competition,” she said. “Everyone knows what they have to do. We always talk about focusing on performance first, and the way to make that happen is to focus on what’s in front of you, what you can control.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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