Australian swimming coach fired for supporting Korean athlete during Paris Olympics
By George Ramsay, CNN
(CNN) — Swimming Australia has terminated the contract of coach Michael Palfrey after he voiced support for a South Korean athlete at the Paris Olympics, the governing body confirmed in a statement to CNN.
Palfrey had said that he hoped South Korean swimmer Kim Woo-min would win the men’s 400-meter freestyle in Paris, a race which also featured two Australian competitors.
According to AP, Palfrey had previously worked with Kim as an advisor, telling South Korean media: “I really hope he can win, but ultimately, I really hope he swims well,” adding, “Go Korea!”
Palfrey remained in his coaching position during the Olympics, but on Friday, Swimming Australia said in a statement to CNN that his contract had been terminated “due to a breach of his employment agreement.”
The statement added: “Palfrey was found to have breached his employment contract by bringing himself into disrepute and causing serious damage to his and Swimming Australia’s reputation, and adversely affecting Swimming Australia’s interests.
“CEO Rob Woodhouse confirmed Palfrey’s employment has ended effective immediately and the process to finding a successor for Palfrey at USC Spartans has begun.”
Swimming Australia also said that Palfrey will retain his coaching accreditation status.
The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), where Palfrey worked as head coach of the high-performance swim team, told CNN that its staff are employed directly through Swimming Australia.
CNN has been unable to obtain comment from Palfrey, who has not commented publicly on the matter.
Kim ultimately finished third in the 400m freestyle final, while Australians Elijah Winnington and Sam Short were second and fourth respectively. Germany’s Lukas Märtens won the gold medal.
During the Games, Winnington told CNN affiliate Nine News that he “couldn’t care less” about Palfrey’s comments in support of Kim.
“Mick’s come and apologized, I don’t think he meant what he said, he’s a great guy, a great coach,” Winnington said. “Obviously, Woo-min trains with him, but yeah, he’s come up to me and he knows that he didn’t mean what he said. At the end of the day, it’s just a comment and I’m just here to race as best as I can.”
Speaking during the Olympics, Australia’s chef de mission Anna Meares told reporters that she believed Palfrey had made “a serious error of judgment,” adding that the coach had understood “the impact of his comments and his decisions” when she met with him.
Meares also explained that she hoped to “minimize disruption” to Australian athletes while they prepared for the Games.
Palfrey, who made his debut as an Australian swimming coach in 2010, worked with swimmers Zac Incerti, Abbey Connor and Alex Perkins at the Paris Olympics, according to Reuters.
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