London:
An official investigation has revealed that Australia’s high-profile swimming coaches actively participated in parties involving strippers, porn movies and binge-drinking at annual bonding sessions on the Gold Coast.
A newspaper reports that an inquiry commissioned by Swimming Australia -described these private strip shows, which took place during the annual national coaching conferences, as “legendary”.
The parties were reportedly held in the presidential suite of the Sofitel Broadbeach, which was occupied by then-head coach of the Australian swim team Alan Thompson, according to two interim reports of the independent inquiry prepared by a top Sydney lawyer, Louise Donohoe SC.
The report added that at least three people who were interviewed admitted to being present in Thompson’s penthouse suite on two or more occasions when strip shows were held.
This culture of holding strip shows has also been witnessed in the 1990s and 2009, the report says.
Rohan Taylor, the current head coach of Australian women’s swim team said he attended one of these private strip shows back in the early-2000s but -denied it was an organised event.
He said that the party was conducted in a room at the hotel and was not a coaches conference—endorsed thing.
Taylor added that it was a group of people who got together who decided to do that rather than go to the place.
