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.
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 noted in a statement 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.
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“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.
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,” he added.
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