Aussie swimming coach Michael Palfrey learns fate over 'un-Australian' comments at Olympics
There were calls for the Australian coach to be sent home from the Paris Olympics.
Australian swimming coach Michael Palfrey has been allowed to stay at the Paris Olympics and won't be sent home, despite backlash over his 'un-Australian' comments about a South Korean swimmer. Palfrey has been caught in a storm after expressing his support for 400m freestyle world champion Kim Woo-min, despite being a coach on the Aussie team.
Palfrey is employed by Swimming Australia but the Dolphins coach is also close with a number of Korean swim stars that he previously worked with. Kim is set to race against Australian duo Sam Short and Elijah Winnington in the men’s 400m freestyle on Sunday morning (AEST), and Palfrey's allegiance has been called into question after comments he made about Kim on Korean TV.
Palfrey reportedly finished up a training session with the Aussies earlier this week, after which time he conducted a poolside interview to talk up the prospects of the Korean superstar Kim. It's understood Palfrey told Korean TV that he "really hopes" Kim can win the 400m freestyle, despite the fact he'll be going up against the two Aussies.
Australia's swimming coaches were reportedly told in March to cut ties with any non-Australian athletes under their wings. It's understood the Dolphins coach also signed off on the interview by exclaiming "go Korea", sparking major backlash ahead of the Paris Games.
“I really hope he can win, but ultimately I really hope he swims well,” Palfrey reportedly told Korean media in Paris. “It’s been a very collaborative approach from the coaches in Korea and myself in Australia. I’m very good friends with the Australian coaches and swimmers but I have really enjoyed coaching Kim as well.”
Michael Palfrey allowed to remain at Paris Olympics
The interview led to calls for the Australian Olympic Team to send Palfrey home from Paris. But on Friday, Aussie chef de mission Anna Meares reported that head swimming coach Rohan Taylor has allowed him to stay.
"I support Rohan Taylor and his team and the decision they have taken in the interests of the swimming team. It is a decision based on high-performance and wellbeing," Meares said. Taylor said: "We took the time to consider the two options – for Mick Palfrey to stay - and for Michael Palfrey to be sent home. After extended conversations, with athletes, the athlete leadership group, and coaching staff we have made the decision for Michael to stay. It is not one we have taken lightly and I stress this is an ongoing discussion for when we return home."
Two of Kim's biggest rivals for the 400m freestyle gold are Aussies Short and Winnington, with the former crowned world champion in 2023 and the latter finishing runner-up to the Korean in the same event earlier this year. “I really think that last 100 to 200 metres is going to be a bit of a dogfight. It’s going to rough. The boys are going to be there,” Palfrey said. “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 metres. We need Woo-min to lift, that’s what I’ll be saying to him. He’s got to race tough.”
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AOC says Michael Palfrey comments are 'deeply concerning'
Palfrey is one of eight coaches that make up the Dolphins team in Paris., The Australian Olympic Committee had earlier described his comments as "deeply concerning" and showing "a serious error of judgement".
"The AOC has been made aware of coach Mick Palfrey's comments," an AOC spokesperson told The Sydney Morning Herald. "The remarks are deeply concerning and represent a serious error of judgement. The AOC is working with Swimming Australia to gain further information before making any decisions. This includes meeting with the coach and affected athletes."
Palfrey looks after Aussie swimmers Zac Incerti, Abbey Connor and Alex Perkins but has also worked with several Korean swimmers such as Kim, Lee Yoo-yeon, Yang Jae-hoon, Lee Ho-joon and Hwang Sun-woo, who all travelled to Australia to train with the coach in Queensland. The Aussie coach admitted he's relishing the battle between Kim, Short and Winnington in the 400m freestyle in Paris.
Winnington (3:43.26) pipped Short (3:43.90) to victory in a thrilling 400m freestyle race at the Australian Olympics trials last month. And the pair will go up against Kim in Paris looking to claim gold in an event won six times by Australian men, with Murray Rose (1956, 1960) and Ian Thorpe (2000 and 2004) both winning back-to-back Olympic golds and Brad Cooper(1972) and Mack Horton (2016) claiming one each.
“I want to see new ground always being broken, I want to see world records being broken,” Palfrey said about the 400m freestyle showdown. “With Woo-min, what I can see that he can do in the training pool, not many swimmers can do.
“I’m excited to work with an athlete and that I am going, ‘Wow, this guy is something special’. We just need to give him enough time that he keeps on improve him... We want to see him swim a best time. If he swims a best time, he’ll be amongst it.
"He’ll be in the top few swimmers in the race. I think Woo-Min can definitely be amongst the medals but the hard thing for him is that those (Australian) guys have already posted fast times. He’s got to find another level. Hopefully at this meet, he can go faster.”
