PARIS-. An Australian swimming coach has come under heavy criticism from his own team after saying he expected a South Korean competitor to beat his country in the medal race at the Olympics. Olympic Games.
Rohan Taylor, head coach of Australia’s swimming team, said Michael Palfrey’s comments on Wednesday were “anti-Australian” and that he could be sent home before the competitions, which begin on Saturday at the Arena La Defense in the western suburbs of Paris.
“Very disappointed. Extremely disappointed,” Taylor said. “It is unacceptable that a coach on our team would promote another athlete over our own.”
Palfrey is part of Australia’s coaching team, overseeing three swimmers and working with one other. He previously coached world 400m freestyle champion Kim Woo-min of South Korea.
In an interview with South Korean television, Palfrey said she expected Kim to win gold in the event, which will take place on the opening day of the swimming competitions.
“I really hope she can win, but what I really want is for her to swim well,” Palfrey said. She added: “Go Korea!”
Palfrey acknowledged making the comment and apologized for his poor judgment, according to Taylor, but that may not be enough to keep him in Paris. The head coach said he would later meet with the athletes to discuss whether Palfrey should remain with the team for the Games.
“My priority is the performance of the team, the performance of the athletes,” Taylor said. “I need to analyze the performance of the team and make a decision based on that.”
Australia has two of the leading contenders for gold in the 400m freestyle: Sam Short, the 2023 world champion, and Elijah Winnington, the 2022 world champion.
Source: AP