Australian Olympic swimming coach Michael Palfrey will remain with the team despite controversy over his support for South Korean swimmer Kim Woo-min.
Palfrey, who coaches several Australian swimmers and works with Kim, expressed his hope that Kim could win the gold in the 400m freestyle event at the Paris Olympics. His comments, made to South Korean media, drew criticism from the Australian Olympic Committee, which described his remarks as a “serious error of judgement.”
Australian head coach Rohan Taylor found Palfrey’s comments “extremely disappointing.” However, after discussions with athletes, coaches, and the athlete leadership group, it was decided that Palfrey would stay with the team. The decision aimed to prioritize athlete welfare and avoid disrupting team dynamics.
Taylor emphasized that the decision was not made lightly and noted that discussions about Palfrey’s position would continue after returning to Australia. Palfrey does not coach Australian swimmers Sam Short and Elijah Winnington, who are also competing in the 400m freestyle event alongside Kim.
In April, Swimming Australia had instructed coaches not to start new arrangements with foreign swimmers, though working with international athletes on a freelance basis is not unusual.
Australian Team chef de mission Anna Meares expressed surprise at Palfrey’s comments but supported the decision to keep him on the team, focusing on “high-performance and wellbeing.”
The men’s 400m freestyle event is set to take place on Saturday.
