Larkin, Seebohm scoff at rumours of Aussie swimmers behaving badly in Rio

SINGAPORE — Australia’s swimming couple, Mitch Larkin and Emily Seebohm, have debunked reports of an “elitist” and “toxic” culture in the Australian swim squad that did not perform to expectations at the 2016 Olympics in Rio in August.

Coming into Rio, there were high hopes that the Australian swim team would put behind them their disastrous 2012 London Olympics campaign, where they won just one gold medal in what was their worst performance at an Olympics in two decades.

However, while they did better in Rio de Janeiro, the Australians eventually came away with just three gold medals, four silvers and three bronzes.

Previously unheralded swimmers Mack Horton and Kyle Chalmers won the men’s 400m freestyle and 100m freestyle respectively, while the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team took the gold in a new world-record time.

However, Horton’s and Chalmers’ more illustrious team-mates — including Larkin, Seebohm and the Campbell sisters — did not deliver in their individual events.

There were also media reports of a divide between the swim team and other Australian athletes, and claims that the swimmers tore down posters of past champions in the Olympic Village and the Australian Olympic Committee’s “One Team” logos.

However, Larkin — who went into Rio as the reigning world 100m and 200m backstroke champion but ultimately won a silver — hit out at the reports yesterday. “I can sort of speak of the guys I was rooming with, Mack Horton and some others, and the environment in the room was pretty amazing,” the 23-year-old told TODAY. “I think some of the stories just got turned around. We had one poster on one area near the lifts with the past history, and I think it just fell off the walls. Somehow that story was turned around such that it was ripped off. If it indeed was (ripped off), it would be dealt with within the team. I think we have got enough support. The leaders of the team really frown upon these sort of actions.”

Seebohm, 24, who failed to win a medal in Rio despite being the world 100m and 200m backstroke champion, added that the Aussie team has definitely turned a corner from the 2012 Olympics campaign, which was plagued by reports of bullying in the team and of swimmers drinking alcohol and using drugs.

“We saw how we were at the competition and realised we needed to change our attitudes towards being in a team together,” she said. “I think it is difficult when you see everyone together once every year. We have a massive team and there are always fresh faces and people you don’t know ... Some people are more shy and reserved and they don’t want to get involved. There are just so many different personalities trying to fit into one team, and sometimes you have people who don’t get along with other people — it is always going to happen. For us, I think we really turned it around in that our team was looking really good this year.” ADELENE WONG