Australian swimming coach facing backlash after voicing support for South Korean athlete

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Australian swimming coach recently came under fire after he backed an athlete who is set to compete for a different country at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Head coach Rohan Taylor described Michael Palfrey's public support for the South Korean swimmer Kim Woo-min as "un-Australian." Taylor also suggested that Palfrey could be forced to return to Australia before Olympic swimming competition gets underway this weekend.

This year, swimmers will compete at Defense Arena, which is located in the western portion of Paris' suburbs. "Very disappointed. Extremely disappointed," Taylor said. "For a coach on our team to promote another athlete ahead of our athletes is not acceptable."

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Rohan Taylor, Head Coach of Team Australia, speaks to the media during a Team Australia Swimming Press Conference at Main Press Centre ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 25, 2024 in Paris, France.  (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

Palfrey is part of the Australian staff at the Olympics, overseeing the preparations for three swimmers and working with a fourth athlete as well. But he previously coached Kim, who is the South Korean men’s 400-meter freestyle world champion.

In an interview with South Korean television, Palfrey said he was pulling for Kim to claim gold in that event on the opening day of the swimming competition.

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"I really hope he can win, but ultimately I really hope he swims well," Palfrey said. He added, "Go Korea."

Taylor said Palfrey later apologized for what was characterized as a lapse in judgment.