- Magnussen says men’s swimming has a talent problem
- Says the sport is losing young stars to the NRL and AFL
- Australian women shone in the pool at the Paris Olympics
Former Olympic swimmer James Magnussen has expressed concern that the AFL and NRL are depriving Australia of future gold medals in the pool.
The Australian swimming team can leave Paris with their heads held high after an excellent swimming campaign.
In terms of gold medals, this is the country’s third-best result at the Olympics, after nine gold medals in Tokyo three years ago and eight gold medals at the 1956 Melbourne Games.
However, the men lagged far behind the women when it came to winning races, with only one Australian man – Cam McEvoy – finishing on the top of the podium.
Magnussen said men’s swimming in Australia has a talent problem and that football is a big part of the problem.
“We need to work on our male swimmers,” he said on the Matty and the rocket in Paris podcasting.
‘We are losing a lot of talent in the swimming age group to professional sports like the AFL and NRL.
‘Imagine you have a 16-year-old Simon Chalmers. A 6-foot-5 kid, about 200 pounds, athletic build… how do we get him to swim, what opportunities can we give him? Because right now the AFL can give him $200,000.’
Retired Olympic swimmer James Magnussen (pictured) is concerned the AFL and NRL will deprive Australia of future gold medals in the pool
Magnussen says swimming is losing talent to football clubs that can offer big money (pictured NRL star Nathan Cleary, left, and AFL star Nick Daicos, right)
Last week, the retired swimmer revealed he had been targeted by vegans after criticising the lack of meat-rich diets for athletes competing in the Paris Olympics.
The organizers of the Paris Olympics were determined to make these the most sustainable Games ever, prioritizing a green approach in almost every area.
Magnussen, who won gold, silver and bronze at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, suggested that the lack of world records in the pool could be partly due to the conditions in the athletes’ village and the “vegan-first mentality”.
“They had a charter that said 60 percent of the food in the village had to be vegan. The day before the opening ceremony, the meat and dairy options in the village were sold out because they didn’t expect so many athletes to choose the meat and dairy options over the vegan options,” he wrote in his column for News Corp.
The Australian swimming team performed well in Paris, with the women winning the most gold medals
“The caterer had to adjust the numbers and use more of those products because surprise, surprise: world-class athletes do not have a vegan diet.”
The organizers have indeed bowed to pressure from the athletes and have ordered more than 700kg of eggs and a ton of extra meat to replace the fake meat meals and dairy-free options.
Magnussen says his comments have caused a negative reaction on social media, admitting he has “taken a beating”.
“To all vegans: ‘Peace be upon you, my brothers,’” he said.
‘I’m going to sleep well tonight. You know why? I didn’t leave a single carbon footprint today.
‘I sweated my ass off in a bus without air conditioning.’
In addition to the vegan food options, Magnussen has also criticized a number of other things he doesn’t like about the athletes’ village.
“There are several factors that make village life far from ideal,” the two-time Olympian wrote.
‘It’s the cardboard beds that don’t provide an optimal night’s sleep.
“It’s the lack of air conditioning, which is going to be a bigger factor as the week goes on. Yesterday it was 20 degrees and raining. It’s going to be mid 30s in the next few days.
‘That will play a part and it will be a welcome change that the Australian team have their own mobile air conditioners.
