Swimming Australia yesterday said that there is “unacceptable behavior” in the sport dated back decades after reports that six more elite athletes plan to make complaints about misconduct.
The governing body has been under the gun since dual Olympic silver-medalist Maddie Groves pulled out of the Australian trials this month, blaming “misogynistic perverts” and “their boot lickers.”
In response, it announced plans to set up an independent female panel to investigate issues relating to women and girls, and on Friday held a “productive” meeting with Groves.
Photo: AP
“We acknowledge some members of the swimming community have experienced unacceptable behavior, some of this dates back decades,” it said in a statement. “The work to address and remedy this has been ongoing.”
Local media reported another six former swimmers had come forward with new complaints, at least one of which was of a sexual nature.
The governing body said that it had not been formally notified and was not aware of the specifics, but that it was “deeply concerned and understands the gravity of such claims.”
“Swimming Australia has ethics and integrity processes in place, including independent avenues,” it said. “We will always investigate any complaint with rigor.”
A chair of the independent panel is to be announced within days, with the governing body having already spoken to parents and swimmers, and asked them to make submissions.
Swimming Australia has previously announced a separate strategic review across the organization led by new chief executive Alex Baumann, a two-time Canadian Olympic gold medalist.
Groves, who came second in the 200m butterfly and 4x100 medley relay at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, sent shockwaves through the sport with her allegations.
The target of her comments was not clear, but she said: “Let this be a lesson to all misogynistic perverts in sport and their boot lickers.”
“You can no longer exploit young women and girls, body shame or medically gaslight them, and then expect them to represent you so you can earn your annual bonus. Time’s up.”
Former elite swimmer Jenny McMahon, a Commonwealth Games gold medalist who is now a senior academic at the University of Tasmania, subsequently said that the sport had long suffered from a “degrading and abusive” culture.
McMahon said she had spent 14 years interviewing hundreds of swimmers and coaches, uncovering a pattern of “toxic” coaching habits.
Taiwan’s Lee Hao-yu on Friday went 0-for-3 in his MLB debut for the Detroit Tigers against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, becoming the 19th Taiwan-born player to reach the big leagues. The Tigers ultimately lost 1-0 in 10 innings, ending their six-game winning streak. The 23-year-old started at third base and batted eighth for Detroit. He was promoted from Triple-A Toledo ahead of the four-game series against the Red Sox at the latter’s home stadium, replacing injured utility player Zach McKinstry. “Being right-handed, and given our schedule, I think six of the next 12 games are going to
Matheus Cunha on Saturday fired Manchester United toward the UEFA Champions League with a 1-0 win at Chelsea, while Tottenham Hotspur remain in the relegation zone after twice blowing the lead to draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. Chelsea failed to take advantage of a United defense ravaged by injury and suspension as a fourth straight league defeat for the Blues left their Champions League hopes in ruins. United have missed out on the riches of Europe’s elite competition for the past two seasons, but are closing in on a return thanks to an upturn in fortunes under interim manager
Denmark’s double Olympic badminton champion Viktor Axelsen, long a rival of Taiwan’s former world No. 2 Chou Tien-chen, yesterday announced his retirement at age 32, saying back problems meant he could no longer “compete and train at the highest level.” Axelsen, who won gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and again in Paris in 2024, had back surgery in April last year and said he had not overcome his physical issues. “Accepting this situation has been incredibly difficult,” he said in a statement. “But I have now reached a point where my body won’t allow me to continue.” Axelsen retires as one
Italian soccer is at its lowest ebb in nearly 40 years after a wholesale European exodus at club level followed the nation’s failure for the third successive time to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, and compounded a leadership and structural crisis. The exits suffered by Bologna and ACF Fiorentina on Thursday in the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League respectively meant no Italian teams are left in European competition this season. Italy’s last remaining UEFA Champions League contenders, Atalanta BC, went out in the round of 16 last month. It is the first time since the 1986-1987 campaign that Italian clubs
RSS