Aussie coach says schedule change slap in face to swimming

Wednesday, 6 August 2008

BEIJING - Olympic officials tampered too much with tradition when they agreed to move the Beijing Games swimming finals to suit US broadcaster NBC, Australian swimming head coach Alan Thompson said on Tuesday.

"My problem with the schedule change was that money bought tradition in the sport," Thompson said.

NBC is paying nearly 900 million dollars for the US media rights to the Beijing Games as part of its deal for the rights to the Games from 2000-2008.

The network pressed the International Olympic Committee to move the swimming finals from their traditional evening start so that US viewers could watch superstar Michael Phelps in prime time as he pursues Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals at one Games.

"I think in this day and age, loyalty is very lacking in sport and often money talks too loudly," Thompson said at an Australian swimming press conference.

"I think when it comes to issues like that, there are certain traditions that need to be followed in sport and they should have ensured this didn't happen."

Many in the swimming community objected to the switch, including Olympic swimming champions Grant Hackett of Australian and Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands.

Thompson said whatever the rights or wrongs of the matter, Australian swimmers would be ready.

"Whether we have heats or finals in the morning or afternoon doesn't matter to us, it's about performance," he said. "We have done everything we need to be prepared for that," he said.