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An Australian Olympic swimming coach is facing sanctions after publicly stating he hopes a top athlete from South Korea will beat the Dolphins at the Paris Olympics.
Michael Palfrey, one of the Dolphins’ eight coaches, has told Australian officials he “deeply regrets” his comments to the Korean media.
Palfrey told Korean television he hopes South Korea’s Kim Woo-min will win the men’s 400-meter freestyle in Paris, an event that features Australian duo Sam Short and Elijah Winnington.
“I really hope he wins, but ultimately I just hope he swims well,” Palfrey told Korean media, before ending the interview by saying, “Go for it, Korea.”
Anna Meares, Australia’s Olympic chief executive, called Palfrey’s comments “a conflict and a serious error of judgement”.
“He is very aware of it and deeply regrets it,” Meares told reporters in Paris on Thursday.
Swimming Australia head coach Rohan Taylor will decide on any disciplinary action, and Meares said the Australian team hierarchy would support any such action.
“We’re not going to outdo Swimming Australia,” Meares said.
Australian swimming coach Michael Palfrey (pictured right) is in hot water after saying he hopes a Korean swimmer will win gold against a pair of Australians
Palfrey told Korean TV reporters he hoped world champion Kim Woo-min (pictured) would beat Australians Sam Short and Elijah Winnington in the 400-meter freestyle
Anna Meares said she will leave the decision on Palfrey’s fate to Swimming Australia
“We will work with them and we will support them in whatever decision they make.”
Palfrey works with Australian swimmers Zac Incerti, Abbey Connor and Alex Perkins.
He also mentored South Korean swimmers in Brisbane, including Kim, who won the 400m freestyle at the World Championships in Qatar in February.
Australian coaches were told in March that they had to cut off all association with non-Australian swimmers ahead of the Paris Olympics.
Meares said Palfrey’s comments and the question of whether he was still involved with Korean swimmers were both problematic issues.
“They both weigh the same,” she said.
“But the fact that he commented on the athlete who won against the Australian team is a bigger problem.”
Taylor, the head coach who leads the eight other coaches on the Australian swimming team, will hold a press conference later on Thursday.
