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.
Albo
Guest
Seems like the inevitable result of a clash of the massive egos ! He had similar problems with John Stephenson ! I suspect he knew his time was up in October, and wanted one last parting shot at a nemesis !
Razza
Guest
One can only believe what they read. If Sally Pearson was late for her arrival to the Commonwealth Games under instructions from any official, then that is the end of the story. Did she get permission to stop in at London for a training race ??, apparently not and that is why she got the fine and through doing that set a bad example to her team being the team captain, as the head coach stated, did other team member do the same thing ??, end of story. ' Sometimes people get big heads when it comes to what they can do and what they cant do when they are World, Olympic, or Commonwealth champions of a sport and please themselves. ' If all of the yahoo started from that incident, then I can only side with the head coach, but if the head coach went against his superiors orders and spoke to the media, then he has lost me. I remember when I went to school, if you did something wrong you got the cane and that taught you respect, nowadays respect is out the door because of the non use of the cane at school today. "DONT SHOOT THE DEPUTY"
commonwombat
Guest
Hollingsworth wrote his own death warrant by deliberately airing dirty linen DURING the event. We do not know the truth as to whether there was a communications breakdown between AA (Hollingsworth) & Pearson's "team". Pearson HAS had a disrupted season and one can see why she took the option to grab another hit-out. As per the issue of her setting a "bad example", it's a two edged sword. Perhaps naming her as captain was not a right move and ideally she may want her to at least make an appearance at this camp. The issue is whether it was practicable for her .... and she is probably setting a "right example" by being as professional as possible in her preparation. If such dirty linen is to be aired, then do it after the event when post-mortems and recriminations are par for course; doing what he did with full knowledge there'd be negative fall-out is not only UN-professional on Hollingsworth's part but deliberately destructive. Mr Lord IS incorrect in stating Pearson was AUS only T/F hope for gold. Mickle (a silver medallist at last year's Worlds) was a clear favourite as is Dani Samuels in the discus. Whilst not necessarily favourites, women's PV & mens discus are certainly thereabouts.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
To Sally, there was more to be gained from competing than just going to a training camp. She is the athlete and knows what is best for her. Hollingsworth has now been sent home.
Bondy
Guest
He's intentionally plotted against her a true dog act,completely unprofessional what was he doing there in the first place ....
Kev
Guest
Hollingsworth sounds like a real piece of work. Combine this with the pedantic and boneheaded way of cutting funding because some athletes arrived late at the pre-games camp so that they could fit in as much competition as possible and it's no surprise we suck at athletics for the most part.
jameswm
Roar Guru
David - do you really have to write things like "Prior to that Pearson was rated the only chance of Games gold, with Australian athletics a basket case". It reflects poorly on you and this site. Is it too much to expect you to stop being controversial for the publicity, and write something meaningful? Basketcase? Yeah, that's why we've been near the top of the medal table at the last two World Junior and World Youth champs.
Jono
Guest
Get a gold medal and you can do no wrong, surely Hollingsworth would know that.
HarryT
Guest
Anyone who thinks that Sally Pearson has 'set a bad example' has absolutely no understanding of world track and field athletics.
Bill
Guest
Most interesting thing to hear about the whole games.