Australian coach sacked for supporting Korean athlete at Paris Olympics | Olympics news

Swimming Australia has sacked coach Michael Palfrey after he said at the Paris Olympics that he had hoped a South Korean athlete would beat the Australian swimmers.

Palfrey told South Korean television he hoped South Korean Kim Woo-min would win the men's 400-meter freestyle in Paris, an event also contested by Australians Sam Short and Elijah Winnington.

“I really hope he can win, but most of all I hope he swims well,” Palfrey said during the Paris Games, adding: “Go Korea.”

Swimming Australia said in a statement on Friday that Palfrey was dismissed due to a breach of his employment contract.

It went on to say that Palfrey had “brought himself into disrepute and caused serious damage to his reputation and that of Swimming Australia and was detrimental to the interests of Swimming Australia.” The statement said Palfrey would retain his accreditation status as a coach.

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