Rio Olympics: Australia’s swimmers carry too heavy a medal burden

AUSTRALIA’S Olympic chief has challenged other sports to ease the medal-winning burden on swimming at next year’s Rio Games.

(L-R) Alicia Coutts, Melanie Schlanger, Brittany Elmslie and Cate Campbell of Australia pose with their gold medals after winning in the women's 4x100m Freestyle Relay Final during the Swimming competition held at the Aquatics Center during the London 2012 Olympic Games in London, England, 28 July 2012. EPA/PATRICK B. KRAEMER

AUSTRALIA’S Olympic chief has challenged other sports to ease the medal-winning burden on swimming at next year’s Rio Games.

Australian chef de mission Kitty Chiller says swimmers “should not carry the burden of medal success for the entire team”.

A year out from the Rio Olympics, Chiller says it’s time some other sports stepped up and won medals to ease the pressure on swimmers.

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“History shows the swimmers win around a third of our medals at the Games,” Chiller said in a statement on Wednesday.

“In London (in 2012) they won 10 and we finished with 35 medals. “There have been big developments and if the swimmers produce 15 medals in Rio that points to us winning around 45 medals.

“An excellent result but I feel we need to take the pressure off the swimmers, we should not rely on them to always deliver the bulk of our medals.

“It is time the other sports stepped up.” Chiller said Australian athletes were entering a crucial phase with just one year to the opening ceremony in Rio, where the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has set a target of a top-five finish on the medal tally.

“If our sports continue to sharpen their preparations and focus, and if we at the AOC continue to ensure we plan and implement the best possible performance environment logistically, operationally and culturally, then we are in with a chance,” she said.

“At the Sydney 2000 Games, Australia won medals across 20 sports. In London, the results fell away with medals in just 13 sports.

“We need a much better spread of medals in Rio. We need to turn seven gold medals in London into 14 gold in Rio.

“It is an aspirational goal but achievable.

“Our athletes need to be competition ready and also need to be podium ready they need to do all the little one percenters in the next 12 months to make sure they are ready, physically and mentally, for a podium performance.”

Originally published as Rio Olympics: Australia’s swimmers carry too heavy a medal burden