Sydney (AP) – Michael Palfrey, the coach of Swimming Australia, was fired for remarks he made during the Paris Olympics expressing his wish that an athlete from South Korea would defeat Australian swimmers.
Palfrey expressed his wish to South Korean television that Kim Woo-min, a competitor in the men’s 400-meter freestyle in Paris, will triumph over Australians Sam Short and Elijah Winnington.
During the Games in Paris, Palfrey stated, “I really hope he swims well, but ultimately I really hope he can win.” Go Korea, he continued.
Palfrey was let go by Swimming Australia “due to a breach of his employment agreement,” the organization stated in a statement Wednesday.
Additionally, Palfrey “brought himself into disrepute and caused serious damage to his and Swimming Australia’s reputation, and adversely affecting Swimming Australia’s interests,” according to the statement.
According to the statement, Palfrey will continue to hold his coach accreditation. In March, four months before the Olympic Games, Palfrey—who had previously served as Kim’s adviser—was instructed, along with the rest of Australia’s swimming coaches, to sever any ties with swimmers from other countries.
In the 400-meter freestyle men’s event, Germany’s Lukas Märtens took first place, with Winnington taking silver and Kim taking bronze.
Palfrey’s remarks were deemed “un-Australian” by Australia’s head swim coach Rohan Taylor, who also threatened to send him home. Nevertheless, Palfrey was eventually permitted to stay in Paris.