SYDNEY: Swimming Australia’s president Barclay Nettlefold resigned yesterday after admitting to making comments inconsistent with the “standards expected of me”.
Nettlefold, part of the overhaul of the sport after Australian swimming’s disappointing 2012 Olympics, was stood down on Saturday over claims of inappropriate remarks towards a female team consultant.
He resigned on Sunday after admitting that the comments, which he said were “made in jest”, were at odds with the culture he was trying to promote within swimming.
“I would like to announce that the Board of Swimming Australia has today accepted, with immediate effect, my resignation as president,” Nettlefold said in a statement.
“There were some private comments I made in jest to my colleagues recently that were not consistent with the standards expected of me, standards I have urged to be incorporated into the future culture of Swimming Australia.”
Recruited as part of an overhaul of the sport in the wake of the London games, Nettlefold initiated two independent enquiries into swimming.
These found the swimming squad lacked leadership and that “toxic” incidents such as drunkenness and bullying had gone unchecked.
Among the revelations were that members of the six-man 4x100m freestyle relay squad had taken sleeping pills banned by the Australian Olympic Committee and played pranks at a pre-games training camp.
Nettlefold said his decision to step down would ensure positive change in swimming in Australia continued.
“I commend the people who have worked with me and supported the drive for change,” he said.
“They all have the institution of swimming in Australia at their heart and together I believe we have made great progress in a very short period of time.”
The London Olympic Games, held in July last year, was Australian swimming’s first Games without an individual gold medal since the 1976 Montreal Olympics. AFP
