Australia Olympic coach Nugent quits after fiasco
March 21, 2013, Thursday
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LEIGH Nugent has quit as head coach of Australia's scandal-hit swimming team after enduring months of pressure in the wake of a damning report into the behavior of his athletes at the London Olympics.
Nugent, who oversaw Australia's worst performance in the Olympic pool in 20 years at London, had volunteered his resignation but hoped to return in a different role after taking a "break", Swimming Australia President Barclay Nettlefold told reporters.
"The last four-six months have been very heavy (for Nugent)," Nettlefold said in Sydney yesterday.
"It was his decision. He came to us. We commend him on his decision."
Australia's swimmers, who have traditionally scooped a big haul from the Olympic pool, returned home from London with a solitary gold medal and without an individual title.
The disappointment sparked a root-and-branch review which probed allegations of drunkenness, bullying and the abuse of prescription drugs within the team in the lead-up to London.
The resulting report released earlier this year alleged a "toxic" environment had been allowed to develop.
An admission from five of the men's freestyle relay team that they took Stilnox, a sedative banned by the Australian Olympic Committee, and engaged in schoolboy pranks at a team camp before the Games, placed further pressure on Nugent.
A number of female team members, including Olympic backstroke silver medalist Emily Seebohm, said they had complained to the head coach of harassment by their male counterparts at the camp, but their complaints were not taken seriously.
Nugent, who helped Australia's swimmers bring home their second-best Olympic medals haul at the 2004 Athens Games, initially tried to play down the controversy, but later admitted he had erred in failing to act.
Nettlefold said an interim head coach would be appointed ahead of the April 26-May 3 Australian Championships in Adelaide, but added that Nugent would be welcomed back into Swimming Australia's coaching framework in a "mentoring" role for up-and-coming swimmers.
Nugent's contract was to run until the yearend with an option of a further three years to take in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Nugent, who oversaw Australia's worst performance in the Olympic pool in 20 years at London, had volunteered his resignation but hoped to return in a different role after taking a "break", Swimming Australia President Barclay Nettlefold told reporters.
"The last four-six months have been very heavy (for Nugent)," Nettlefold said in Sydney yesterday.
"It was his decision. He came to us. We commend him on his decision."
Australia's swimmers, who have traditionally scooped a big haul from the Olympic pool, returned home from London with a solitary gold medal and without an individual title.
The disappointment sparked a root-and-branch review which probed allegations of drunkenness, bullying and the abuse of prescription drugs within the team in the lead-up to London.
The resulting report released earlier this year alleged a "toxic" environment had been allowed to develop.
An admission from five of the men's freestyle relay team that they took Stilnox, a sedative banned by the Australian Olympic Committee, and engaged in schoolboy pranks at a team camp before the Games, placed further pressure on Nugent.
A number of female team members, including Olympic backstroke silver medalist Emily Seebohm, said they had complained to the head coach of harassment by their male counterparts at the camp, but their complaints were not taken seriously.
Nugent, who helped Australia's swimmers bring home their second-best Olympic medals haul at the 2004 Athens Games, initially tried to play down the controversy, but later admitted he had erred in failing to act.
Nettlefold said an interim head coach would be appointed ahead of the April 26-May 3 Australian Championships in Adelaide, but added that Nugent would be welcomed back into Swimming Australia's coaching framework in a "mentoring" role for up-and-coming swimmers.
Nugent's contract was to run until the yearend with an option of a further three years to take in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
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