Australian swimming star Maddie Groves says her decision to boycott the upcoming Olympic Trials was not due to тАЬa singular incidentтАЭ.
Australian swimming star Maddie Groves has elaborated on why she decided to withdraw from the upcoming Olympic Trials in Adelaide, saying she тАЬneeds a breakтАЭ from the sport.
On Wednesday, Groves sent shockwaves through the sporting community after announcing she would not compete at the Australian Olympic swimming trials beginning on Saturday, citing тАЬmisogynistic perverts in sportтАЭ for her boycott.
The two-time Olympic silver medallist followed it up 24 hours later by saying she was going dark on her Instagram and Twitter accounts.
However, Groves shared one final message to her Instagram followers on Friday afternoon, clarifying why she made the bombshell decision.
тАЬThank you so much to everyone for all the support! IтАЩve really been overwhelmed by messages and I just want to thank people so much for taking the time to show they care,тАЭ she posted. тАЬI wish I could say I was surprised by the sheer Appalachian Trail of stories IтАЩve received from people explaining why they understand my decision.
тАЬI considered competing at Olympic trails and making this point later, but I decided I didnтАЩt want to potentially take a spot away from someone that was 100% focused on swimming fast.
тАЬIt would be mistake for anyone to reduce my decision to a singular incident. My decision is partly because thereтАЩs a pandemic on, but mostly itтАЩs the culmination of years of witnessing and тАШbenefitingтАЩ from a culture that relies on people ignoring bad behaviour to thrive. I need a break.
тАЬIf starting this conversation will save even just one young girl from something like being told to lose weight or diet, not going to the Olympics will have been worth it.тАЭ
Swimming Australia president Kieren Perkins said the governing body cannot investigate her new claims because officials havenтАЩt been able to contact her.
тАЬUnfortunately Maddy is certainly struggling at the moment it would seem, based on the social media posts that sheтАЩs putting up,тАЭ Perkins told Channel 9 on Friday morning.
тАЬThe reality is, thatтАЩs all we know, whatтАЩs on social media, sheтАЩs at no time contacted Swimming Australia, we havenтАЩt been able to talk to her directly and go through her concerns.
тАЬI can certainly reassure her that claims like these are of the upmost importance to us, and providing a safe environment for all of our participants is absolutely paramount to us.тАЭ
Perkins also said there is тАЬno evidenceтАЭ Groves made a formal complaint about being made to feel uncomfortable by a swimming official, an alleged incident she tweeted about last year.
тАЬI have absolutely no evidence that there was any complaint made, or that anyone was promoted because I donтАЩt know who sheтАЩs talking about, or what the complaint is,тАЭ he said.
тАЬI actually have no evidence of that, and thatтАЩs really quite concerning.тАЭ
The Brisbane-born swimmer made her Olympic debut at 2016тАЩs Games in Rio de Janeiro, where she won silver in both the 200m butterfly and 4x100m medley.
She also competed at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, where she won two gold medals.
In her first Instagram post, Groves said she would continue to race at other competitions тАЬlater in the yearтАЭ.
Swimming Australia did not immediately return NCA NewsWireтАЩs request for comment.
тАФ with Tyson Otto and NCA NewsWire
