Inspirational Paralympian launches scathing attack on Aussie officials, saying they cost her gold in Tokyo

Lauren Parker missed a gold medal in Tokyo by the slimmest of margins, now the inspiring Aussie has revealed how a bureaucratic decision cost her.

The National Sports Tribunal has been asked to step in and try to resolve a bitter row between Australia’s most inspiring para triathlete and the sport’s governing body.

Lauren Parker – who defied incredible odds to win a silver medal at last year’s Tokyo Paralympics after she nearly died in a horrific cycling accident – has launched a scathing criticism of Triathlon Australia (TA).

Holding nothing back, the double world champion said TA had ruined her chances of winning gold in Tokyo and was now destroying her career by forcing her to miss this season’s world series circuit.

TA strongly refutes the accusations, telling News Corp they have always provided Parker with all the support and funding she is entitled to and are shocked by her claims.

“This is the first time this has been raised by Ms Parker despite extensive post-event debriefs,” TA chief executive Miles Stewart said. “We note there has been a significant change to her team in recent months.”

Parker not long ago teamed up with Emma Carney, the Hall of Fame inductee who won two world titles in the 1990s and is now a top triathlon coach.

Carney is also embroiled in a long running spat with TA and believes Parker is being punished because they are close friends.

Lauren Parker with her silver medal. Picture: Alex Pantling/Getty

“It’s completely unacceptable,” Carney said.

While Parker has a full time male coach, she made a formal request that Carney be accredited to accompany her during the 2022 World Triathlon Para series to act as her carer.

Paralysed from the waist down, Parker said she even agreed to pay Carney’s expenses out of her own pocket but her request was rejected.

“I’ve got so much luggage that I’m going to travel with, a bike, a track chair, wheels, medical bags, clothes bags, other equipment,” she said.

“Plus I need a female for personal help. I just need someone that I know and I’m comfortable with, it can’t just be anyone.”

Without a carer, Parker said she was left with no choice other than to withdraw from next month’s series opener in Japan, jeopardising her own career.

Currently ranked No. 1 in the world, she said her absence from the world circuit could impact her funding and sponsorship levels and her morale, making it harder to continue in a sport she credits for keeping her going after her freak accident.

Lauren Parker (L) says TA cost her crucial time during the race. Picture: Joe Toth/OIS/IOC/ AFP

In 2017, Parker was an elite able-bodied athlete, out training on her bike when the tyres punctured without warning while she was riding at full speed on a highway.

She was thrown into a metal guard rail where she suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs and multiple other fractures. Lucky to survive, doctors told her she would never walk again after she damaged her spinal cord.

Recognised as one of Australia’s bravest athletes, the 33-year-old she remains in constant pain, which she has described as feeling like she’s being cut up by a chainsaw.

But she has found comfort in her sport and art so is pleading with authorities to approve her request so she can continue competing.

“I don’t know if I would be here without being able to return to the sport and compete for Australia,” she said. “That’s my life, especially after such a life changing accident. Having my sport has saved me.

“I feel like I’ve lost my freedom to race and do what I love and be the best in the world in my sport. All I want to do is represent Australia and do what I know.”

Lauren Parker says her art helps her. Picture: Supplied

Stewart said Carney’s association with Parker was not a factor in the decision and TA’s hands were tied so should not be made the scapegoat for her being denied entry because of Japan’s strict biosecurity regulations.

“Triathlon Australia must comply with the requirements imposed in relation to confirming and sending only essential personnel as per our policy,” he said.

Frustrated, Parker has taken the matter up with Kieren Perkins, the new chief executive of Sport Australia. A spokesman for Sport Australia said the swimming legend advised her the most appropriate body to mediate in the dispute was the National Sports Tribunal.

No decision has been made yet but it is already too late for Parker to compete in Yokohama next month because the deadline has now closed.

Parker won silver on her last visit to Japan but it was a bittersweet moment because she missed the gold by the blink of an eye when she was pipped on the line by American Kendall Gretsch.

But Parker says she lost critical time during the transitions between each of the three legs after a TA ruling which she said prevented her from using her regular handler.

“I was forced to choose between taking someone to help me travel or having my handler, not both as normally is the case,” Parker said.

“While my stand-in handler did their best, they were not who I had trained with and time was lost in both transitions. This time lost was over a minute, and I ended up losing the gold medal by 0.01 of a second. My team was heartbroken.”

Stewart denied TA acted against Parker’s wishes, saying she approved the change of handler.

“Ms Parker advised the TA High Performance staff that she would use her carer as her handler in order to have them in the Olympic Village with her,” he said.”

“Ultimately, Ms Parker had her personal coach and carer/handler in the Olympic Village supporting her throughout the event. TA supports athletes’ choices of handlers.”

Originally published as Inspirational Paralympian launches scathing attack on Aussie officials, saying they cost her gold in Tokyo