Other Swimming Review

[tazzietiger]

Seem's as the review into the Olympic swimming team is pretty damning.

A report reviewing the leadership in Australia's swimming team has slammed a "toxic" culture which saw swimmers abuse prescription drugs, alcohol and curfews during last year's London Olympics.

The report also said Australia's swimming team was devoid of leadership, resulting in bad behaviour going unchecked and individualism thriving. London was remembered by many as the unpleasant "Lonely Olympics".

In a warts-and-all review of culture and leadership in Australian Olympic Swimming, Doctor Pippa Grange paints a grim picture of the hierarchy of Swimming Australia and the unit that competed at the Games seven months ago.

"There were enough culturally toxic incidents across enough team members that breached agreements (such as getting drunk, misuse of prescription drugs, breeching curfews, deceit, bullying) to warrant a strong, collective leadership response that included coaches, staff and the swimmers. No such collective action was taken," the report said.

“At its least attractive, the team dynamic became like a schoolyard clamour for attention and influence.

"Although few situations relating to London reported through this review were truly grave in nature, they compounded in significance as no one reigned in control."

In another development, the Australian Olympic Committee will investigate, and is prepared to financially sanction, the swimmers accused of breaching the team agreement in London.

Fairfax Media has been told that AOC president John Coates has been briefed about the damning findings of two reports into a grossly mismanaged national swim team that performed badly in and out of the pool at the Games last July.

It's understood the AOC is particularly concerned about the evidence that Olympic swimmers breached the team agreement by misusing prescription drugs and bullying teammates during the Games period.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/swimming/review-slams-toxic-culture-in-swimming-20130219-2eoee.html#ixzz2LM4d1W3f

 

[DIG]

You could tell something wasn't right with this squad, just couldn't put a finger on it.

The team used to have such a strong culture but that's collapsed now.

Nugent was too distant and weak by the sounds if it. Any playing up they needed to clamp down on straight away. With the team selected purely by best time swam in the qualifiers you could get the odd idiot that will need closer managing.

Team needs to be brought closer together prior to the next Olympics and get everyone's buy in to a better culture including adherence to rules, curfews etc.

 

[Wallaby]

Team needs to be brought closer together prior to the next Olympics and get everyone's buy in to a better culture including adherence to rules, curfews etc.

I disagree entirely. I think the biggest problem is that the fact we insist on having a swimming 'team'.

They're not a team - they're individual performers who happen to do similar events (ie in a pool). What do the butterfliers have in common with the backstrokers? What do the distance swimmers have in common with the sprinters? I know what the freestylers have in common - they are competitors. Not teammates.

Having an 'Australian Swim Team' is silly - all it does is encourage the thinking of an elite squad on a school trip. I'm not saying they all have to hate each other - but I don't see why they should be forced into a group culture for what are entirely individual events (and even relays are just 'add the times together').

They are professional adult athletes - they should know what is required for their preparation, how much sleep they need, without rules being dictated.

 

[tazzietiger]

Didn't our previous Olympic swimming coaches train the Chinese swimming team which was successful last year at the games. I don't follow swimming to closely so I don't know if they have publicly spoke about why they changed teams but surely this review will look into how we can retain and attract the best coaches.

 

[DIG]

Being an ex competitive swimmer myself, you're completely off the mark. Our strongest Olympic efforts were when we had close knit teams where we'd feed off each others success. In the cauldron of a deafening swimming event it becomes tribal, us vs them. The great USA v Aust rivalry of recent years (not anymore) saw bit swimmers swim far above themselves in relays etc where we'd find ways to smoke them - swimmers were inspired by having the superstars who were also great role models on our squad which we don't have anymore.

Your strategy would be disastrous and clearly you've never been part of a travelling swimming squad and have not got a clue about this sport.

 

[tazzietiger]

Swimming Australia will be holding a press conference tomorrow.

Australia's biggest swimming star James Magnussen, as well as his men's relay teammates, will front the media to confront allegations of Stilnox use.
Swimming Australia confirmed on Thursday that the six members of the men's relay team had come forward to discuss their involvement in a team bonding session in Manchester prior to arriving in the Olympic Village.
SA is expected to identify the relay team members as chief offenders in the independent review, which earlier this week revealed drug abuse and a 'toxic culture' in London, but didn't name names.
It's been alleged the relay team used prescription drug Stilnox as part of an initiation ritual and team bonding exercise.
Less than a week later, the so-called Weapons of Mass Destruction' failed to live up to the hype and spectacularly bombed out, missing the medals altogether.
Magnussen hasn't spoken since the damning review was released.
But the swimming star will front a media conference in Sydney on Friday to address accusations he is a key figure in the report.
Fellow 4x100m members Eamon Sullivan, James Roberts, Tommaso D'Orsogna, Cameron McEvoy and Matthew Targett will also open up on their involvement on Friday.

http://www.skynews.com.au/sport/article.aspx?id=847929

 

[QuietB]

Magnassen has probably cost himself a gold medal by behaving like a juvenile flog. Suitable punishment is he can stew on that for the rest of his life.

 

[lemon chicken]

Magnassen has probably cost himself a gold medal by behaving like a juvenile flog. Suitable punishment is he can stew on that for the rest of his life.

Will be disappointed if a few sponsors don't ditch him.

 

[lihei]

Where were the officials at the presser?

 

[Wickzki]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/m...-themselves-sick/story-e6frfgb6-1226584279914

Swimmer Jade Neilsen reveals how teammates drank themselves sick

THE woman who spoke out against the men's relay swimmers has revealed Australian team membersregularly drank themselves sick during the London Games - and that she was taken to hospital after a night out.

 

[Wickzki]

- Jade Nielsen, Australian Olympic Swimming Team.

 

[blackcat]

You could tell something wasn't right with this squad, just couldn't put a finger on it.

The team used to have such a strong culture but that's collapsed now.

Nugent was too distant and weak by the sounds if it. Any playing up they needed to clamp down on straight away. With the team selected purely by best time swam in the qualifiers you could get the odd idiot that will need closer managing.

Team needs to be brought closer together prior to the next Olympics and get everyone's buy in to a better culture including adherence to rules, curfews etc.

its when all the squad is taking truckloads of exogenous hormones and has so much domestic pressure, they are gonna blow their lid