Canberra, Nov. Nov 19 (IANS): Australia's best swimmer James Magnussen is at loggerheads with Swimming Australia over his selection of coaches to guide him through to the 2016 Olympic Games.
Swimming Australia issued a statement Wednesday denouncing Magnussen's new training programme, saying they said they would continue to fund his training but wanted a say in how the money is spent, reports Xinhua.
The 100 metre freestyle world champion ended his four-year partnership with Brant Best in September and has since hired young coaches Mitch and Lach Falvey as part of a new training programme at Ravenswood swimming club in Sydney.
"Swimming Australia has announced today that it does not endorses James Magnussen's move to his new training programme at Ravenswood School in Sydney but will allocate the necessary funds to assist the swimmer's requirements for professional services," the statement read.
"We do not support the training environment James has chosen going forward and there are a range of factors that have led us to that decision and we are not about to go into them."
The move has not been well received by Swimming Australia's high performance director Michael Scott and national chief coach Jacco Verhaeren, who are concerned about the Falveys' lack of experience at the elite level.
"But in saying that we have nothing against the young coaches Mitch and Lach Falvey - at the end of the day we respect James' right to make his own decision although we haven't got to agree with it. However we will still provide financial support to James. This support will need to be targeted at specific gaps that Jacco as head coach has identified," the statement explained.
Verhaeren guided Dutchman Pieter van den Hoogenband to three Olympic gold medals, two in the 100m freestyle, and has been involved in many meetings with Magnussen over recent months.
He said while he was disappointed with Magnussen's decision, ultimately it was the athlete who made the final decision about his or her coach.
"It is not for Swimming Australia to push athletes into specific programmes. I see our role to advise athletes about opportunities and possibilities throughout Australia," he said.
"But ultimately it is up to the athlete to make the final decision."