The thought of tennis brats Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios marching at the Rio Olympics opening ceremony makes Jon Anderson feel sick

THE thought of Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios marching in the opening parade of an Olympic Games makes me feel bilious, writes Jon Anderson.

Bernard Tomic at the Madrid Open.

THE thought of Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios marching in the opening parade of an Olympic Games makes me feel bilious.

That those two over-paid megalomaniacs could even wear an Australian Olympic blazer would be an injustice to our past heroes.

People such as Raelene Boyle, Ron Clarke, Herb Elliott, Shane Gould, Dawn Fraser, Bill Roycroft and Mike Wenden from the 1960s and 70s, or more recently Rob de Castella, Steve Moneghetti, Libby Trickett, Petria Thomas and Liesel Jones.

Nick Kyrgios kicks the ball during his loss to Kei Nishikori at the Madrid Open.

Every one of those athletes did Australia proud, win, lose or draw. They knew the privilege they had been granted, to be gifted enough to represent their country against the best in the world.

And their financial gains were minimal, or in some cases non-existent. Some became multiple gold medallists, some didn’t even get on a dais, but every one of them was a shining example of how Australia has produced fine young men and women to wear the green and gold.

If Ron Clarke was alive he would be deeply saddened to think that petulant brats such as Tomic and Kyrgios were even in the running for Olympic representation.

Bernard Tomic at the Madrid Open.

I say in the running because Australia’s chef de mission Kitty Chiller had the courage to speak out against Tomic and Kyrgios after their latest acts, which range from the constant verbal abuse from Krygios to the repeated tanking from Tomic.

They have proven themselves unfit to represent their country at the Olympics and the matter hopefully will end there. That they are even in the running for Olympic glory stems from an ill-considered decision to allow tennis (and golf) into the Games, sports that have four individual championships each year and pursuits that are ridiculously well paid.

My Olympic memories stretch back to Mexico City in 1968, when Ron Clarke almost died trying to conquer high altitude and win the 10,000m. He collapsed after the race and was unconscious for 10 minutes, his heart permanently damaged.

You reckon Tomic would lay it on the line like that? No way and why should he when he happily boasts he has $10 million in the bank. It makes you wonder about the order of professions in life when you twerps like Kyrgios and Tomic making their millions when hard-working decent people pull in $50,000-$60,000 a year.

Originally published as The thought of tennis brats Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios marching at the Rio Olympics opening ceremony makes Jon Anderson feel sick