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Australian coach fired for cheering S. Korean

The Straits Times

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September 07, 2024

Australian swim coach Michael Palfrey has been sacked after he triggered a media storm at the Paris Olympics by saying that he hoped a South Korean athlete would beat Australian rivals at the Games.

Palfrey, one of the Australian swim team's Olympic coaches, told South Korean media days before the start of the global sporting event from July 26 to Aug 11 that he hoped world champion Kim Woo-min would win the men's 400 metres freestyle.

It was an event in which Australia's Sam Short and Elijah Winnington were also contenders.

Olympic swimming coaches are often freelancers who work with multiple nations' swimmers - Palfrey had worked with Kim in the build-up to the Olympics.

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