Australia coach fired for supporting a South Korean swimmer at the Olympics

SYDNEY (AP) — Swimming Australia has fired coach Michael Palfrey over comments made at the Paris Olympics where he said he hoped a South Korean athlete would beat Australian swimmers.

Palfrey told South Korean television he hoped South Korea’s Kim Woo-min would win the men’s 400-meter freestyle in Paris, an event that featured Australians Sam Short and Elijah Winnington.

“I really hope he can win, but ultimately I really hope he swims well,” Palfrey said in Paris during the Games. He added, “Go Korea.”

Swimming Australia said in a statement Friday that it had terminated Palfrey “due to a breach of his employment agreement.”

It added Palfrey brought “himself into disrepute and causing serious damage to his and Swimming Australia’s reputation, and adversely affecting Swimming Australia’s interests.”

The statement said Palfrey would retain his coach accreditation status.

Palfrey, who previously worked with Kim as an adviser, was told along with Australia’s other swimming coaches to end any association with non-Australian swimmers in March, four months prior to the Olympic Games.

Germany’s Lukas Märtens won the gold medal in the men’s 400-meter freestyle, with Winnington claiming silver ahead of Kim, who won bronze.

Australia head swim coach Rohan Taylor had called the comments by Palfrey “un-Australian” and said he might be sent home, but he was eventually allowed to remain in Paris.

“Very disappointed. Extremely disappointed,” Taylor said at the time. “For a coach on our team to promote another athlete ahead of our athletes is not acceptable.”