Caulfield Grammar principal responds to reports about name of new swimming pool
Caulfield Grammar hasn’t ruled out naming its new swimming pool after the school’s only Olympic champion, despite reports it wouldn’t happen due to Chinese backlash, with its principal outlining how the $25 million facility’s name will be decided.
Inner South
Don't miss out on the headlines from Inner South . Followed categories will be added to My News.
Caulfield Grammar’s principal has rejected reports their new swimming pool won’t be named after the school’s only Olympic champion Mack Horton.
The Sunday Age reported over the weekend the prestigious southeastern suburbs school had ditched plans to name the lavish $25 million aquatic centre after the 400m freestyle gold medallist after his feud with Sun Yang, one of China’s most-celebrated athletes.
But in an email to the extended school community on Monday morning, principal Ashleigh Martin said they had not started the process for naming the facility after any individual.
It comes just days after the Leader exclusively revealed the pool, which opened last month at the school’s Caulfield campus, was too shallow for divers to use.
The monumental flaw means the diving area of the pool doesn’t meet size requirements needed to ensure a safe landing and did not meet Life Saving Victoria’s safety standards.
Students are still able to use the pool for swimming but the diving team has been forced to train and compete at Carnegie Pool and Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
The school pool is currently known as the Aquatic and Wellbeing Centre.
“An article in The Sunday Age – and subsequent reports – incorrectly assert that Caulfield Grammar School has taken the decision not to name the Caulfield Campus Aquatic Centre after former student and Olympic champion, Mack Horton,” Mr Martin wrote.
“The school has not started a process for naming the facility after any individual or decided at this time if it will be named after any individual.
“The naming of buildings at Caulfield Grammar School is a School Council decision and discussions relating to the naming of the Caulfield Aquatic Centre have not commenced.
“I have communicated with the Horton family regularly over the weekend to reiterate Caulfield’s gratitude to the Horton family for their long association and ongoing involvement in our school.”
Mr Martin said the school and its community had a great pride, respect and admiration for Horton, as both an Olympic swimmer and former student.
A former Caulfield Grammar student and school swimming teammate of Horton said there was no one else they could possibly name the pool after.
“He is the school’s only ever Olympic gold medallist, and for swimming, it’s the perfect fit,” they said.
The hostility between Horton and Sun Yang goes back to the 2016 Rio Olympics where the Australian called his rival a drug cheat ahead of their 400m freestyle face off.
Horton also refused to share a medals dais with Sun Yang at the 2019 FINA World Championships when Yang won gold and Horton silver in the 400m freestyle.
Supporters of Sun Yang have targeted abuse at Horton and his family throughout the ongoing feud.
MORE LEADER NEWS:
ALBERT PARK COLLEGE BRAWL: DAD LASHES OUT AT SCHOOL
WHY DIVERS CAN’T USE SCHOOL’S NEW $25M POOL
FRANKSTON TATTOO PARLOUR ROCKED BY FIREBOMBING
In 1998, Caulfield Grammar was the first Australian school to open a campus in mainland China and benefits from good relations with Beijing.
Each year about 400 year nine students travel in groups to its Nanjing facility to live and study for five weeks.
Caulfield Grammar boasts a hugely successful aquatic program, with both the boys and girls swimming teams taking out the Australian Public Schools Championship last year and the girls’ diving team scoring 2nd place.
Horton attended the school between 2000 and 2014.