Head athletics coach Eric Hollingsworth has been suspended by Athletics Australia for his blistering attack on team captain Sally Pearson at the Commonwealth Games.
The feud between the pair has been simmering for months, but what prompted Hollingsworth to go public can only be interpreted as covering his butt, when in effect he’s shot himself in the foot.
Hollingsworth explained his beef was Sally Pearson’s late arrival to a team camp prior to the Commonwealth Games.
He added – “Sally Pearson set a bad example as team captain by arriving late”.
Really?
You would reckon he could have aired his anger behind closed doors, but obviously his communication skills are lacking.
The other big question is why was Hollingsworth in the main stadium overnight after being suspended?
He was on hand to see Kim Mickle win javelin gold over two-time defending champion Sunette Viljoen from South Africa. It was a fabulous performance from Mickle, who broke the Games record twice on her way to gold.
Australian Kelsey-Lee Roberts won bronze, while a third Australian Kathryn Mitchell finished a close fourth. It was the only medal performance so far for the Australia track and field team.
Prior to that Pearson was rated the only chance of Games gold, with Australian athletics a basket case.
Hollingsworth’s suspension, whatever that means, is as far as Athletics Australia can go. It’s now up to the governing body, the Australian Commonwealth Games Association to send Hollingsworth home, or allow him to continue in his role, and sack him on return.
The latter undermines the authority of Athletics Australian president David Grace QC, who is adamant Hollingsworth has defied his boss by making his feud with Pearson public.
Chef de Mission Steve Moneghetti has his plate full with not only Hollingsworth, but an Australian rep who was arrested at the Games Village and detained after a fracas broke out at 6am today, local time.
He’s Francois Etoundi, who represented Cameroon in Melbourne 2006, but received asylum status to stay in Australia along with Simplice Ribouem and Daniel Kourn.
Etoundi won bronze in the 77kgs weight-lifting class at these Games.
Damn shame that day seven has been sullied, when the swimmers, cyclists, and shooters having all performed so well.
And there’s more to come with the Kookaburras, Hockeyroos, and Diamonds unbeaten on the way to gold.
And Sally Pearson, who won’t let Eric Hollingsworth deny her gold.
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