Australia Swimming's head coach has been accused of "inappropriate behavior" in the wake of a pedophile scandal!

That is Alan Thompson pictured above. He is Swimming Australia's head coach or the Australian counter part to USA Swimming Head Coach, Mark Schubert.

Thompson, has been anonymously accused of unspecified inappropriate behavior and he is stepping down while an investigation takes place.

Ironic attire, huh? he looks like a refugee from Alcatraz!

Ouch! Even I think that was a low blow and I will just have to admit my bias against him for being one of the leading voices to ban tech suits once his swimmers started losing in the LZR.

This all in the wake of the following Swimming Australia scandal. From Adelaide Now:

"... Former Olympic swimming coach and manager Buck, who died in a tractor accident in 2005, was this week accused of abusing a number of Australian swimmers.

The allegations were made by a former Australian swim team captain and Olympic medallist.

He claimed Buck assaulted him repeatedly from the age of 11 until he turned 17.

Police began investigating abuse allegations in 1998, and were handed a list of 29 other alleged victims, including four Olympic swimmers...."

[Link]

Here is what ABC Sport had to say:

"... He says SA will appoint an independent investigator to examine the allegation.

"It's of a concern enough to all of us that we're going to have a look at it," he said.

"So we're going to appoint someone independent to investigate that allegation. ..."

[Link]

From the TimesOnline:

After the claim was brought to the attention of Swimming Australia, the board and Thompson agreed mutually that he take personal leave while the matter is investigated.

[Link]

Now, "in the wake of" scandal I was talking about in the headline is this:

From the daily Telegraph:

"...Mr Neil stressed the action by the board was completely unrelated to revelations by The Daily Telegraph of a cover-up involving the sexual abuse of Olympic swimmers when they were children.

Lawyers with the police force decided not to prosecute allegations from three swimmers that the late Olympic coach Terry Buck, who died in 2005, was responsible for the sexual assault of 29 people. The list included four Olympians, two surfing champions and three people who had committed suicide before police investigations began.

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And I smell a rat!

If the allegation is not potentially criminal and Australia Swimming is a national governing body [partially] paid for by Australian tax dollars and a coach is having to step down by way of a "mutual agreement" while being investigated, where is the transparency in that organization? Why is it confidential? If it is nothing illegal, why step down?

Answer: The accusation will really piss a lot people off!

A few days ago I published the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) policy for both age-groupers and parents so as to to protect children from seriously disturbed adults and to protect both coaches and parents from blatantly false allegations. In other words, a process to prevent trouble. I feel USA Swimming needs a policy like this as well.

Here is a link to the post: [Link]

Sydney Morning Herald: Australian Coach, Alan Thompson, was on the panel in charge of the FINA swimsuit approval process!

From the Sydney Morning Herald:

"... Australian head coach Alan Thompson, who was on the panel in charge of the approval process, said yesterday the decision makes the most level playing field possible for the world titles, but it won't be fully level until the new rule changes come in January, where among them, swimsuits will be required to pass permeability testing.

As for Sullivan holding onto his records - the French ones are yet to be ratified - Thompson says in the wake of the failed tests Sullivan's should stand. ..."

[Link]

Some process, huh?

Well, if this is an accurate statement written by the Sydney Morning Herald, It suddenly becomes obvious why USA Swimming and Australian Swimming "fully support FINA with all their hearts and minds" versus the Japanese, the French, and the Italians?

No wonder rational minds and countries have a problem with this approval process. It's my belief that Alan Thompson should clarify if he is or has ever been a paid endorser by Speedo.

"Oh Noes" - FINA calls for emergency suit meeting, Coach Alan Thompson has been asked to attend!

Is Alan Thompson pro Speedo? These quotes in the The Sydney Morning Herald seemingly declare his allegiance to the suit manufacturer:

"... AUSTRALIAN swimming coach Alan Thompson says there may be swimsuits on the market that will not pass the new guidelines put in place at the weekend by the sport's governing body, but the Speedo LZR Racer won't be among them and his team will be able to wear them at the Rome world championships in July. ..."

"...Asked if he was concerned about his team's suit supplier, Speedo, and the availability of its LZR Racer suit for Rome, Thompson said Speedo had assured him of compliance...."

Regarding Speedo competitors or rival suit manufacturers:

"...I think there is a possibility that some of them won't make the thickness and the buoyancy requirements," he said. "I think that's what we have been wanting, a framework around it just to measure that. People say they are buoyant and all sorts of things. Now you can measure it and there is this framework there so you will know for certain, and if they don't pass the testing, they are out." ..."

[Link]

It is my opinion that the average mouth speaks faster than the average brain's ability to measure the words coming out of it. (I for one am certainly the template for that theory.) Hence, when Coach Alan Thompson quasi-guarantees that the Speedo LZR will be available for Rome but seemingly declares in gleeful tones that some of his competitors won't, not only is that a red flag that the LZR is not as fast as the competitors, but a possible statement of his allegiance to Speedo if I am reading this right? It also has shades of Coach Mark Schubert who is being sued for this sort of stuff by TYR

Now this FOX SPORTS:

He [Coach Alan Thompson] said next week's meeting would focus on the legality of suit designs for the world championships and welcomed the move by FINA to conduct an open forum with national coaches to explain the process around the testing and approval of the suits.

"It is a proactive move and it will clearly spell out what the rules are and what suits athletes can wear, so there is no confusion," Thompson said.

[Link]

Is FINA actually having a Coach who apparently is looking forward to his swimmers wearing the Speedo LZR in Rome... discussing the approval process to rival suit makers? FINA will explain it, not the FINA Coaches Commission!

My gosh, Could Speedo be driving this secondary approval process in the first place?