The Australian Dolphins defend new culture, put London debacle behind them

TEAM leader and world record holder Cate Campbell launched an emphatic and passionate defence of the Australian swim team and its cultural rebuild.

Cate and Bronte Campbell will be chasing medals in Rio.

TEAM leader and world record holder Cate Campbell launched an emphatic and passionate defence of the Australian swim team and its cultural rebuild, claiming it’s disrespectful to keep tarring the 2016 Olympic Dolphins with a 2012 brush.

Campbell was the first athlete to address the media during the team’s only open day at pre-Olympic camp in Auburn on Wednesday and didn’t waste her chance to put questions about the team’s culture to bed.

The Australian swim team infamously were branded with a “toxic” culture in London but the growth and changes since have this 2016 Dolphins outfit ready to attack the Rio Olympics with a clear chance to become world No.1.

And if the assertive mindset of the world 100m freestyle record holder is shared within the team, they will be hard to beat in Rio.

I had a great 2012 and I can look back on that with pride and I think that it’s not just the athletes that have changed, it’s the organisation.

“I was really hoping someone would ask this question … we are always asked what has changed since London,” Campbell said.

“Now we have a new head coach, we have a new CEO, we have a new president all in 2013.

“In 2014 we had the most successful Commonwealth Games swim team ever.

“In 2015 we topped the medal tally for Olympic events (at the world titles).

1/3 Well done @catecamp. I echo your sentiments completely. We have a swim team that we can be proud of and I can't wait to see them...

— Ian Thorpe (@IanThorpe) July 28, 2016

2/3 …in the pool in Rio. We are just over a week out and the entire @AusOlympicTeam will do us proud. I’m really excited for our Team and…

— Ian Thorpe (@IanThorpe) July 28, 2016

3/3 … it’s time for Australia to get excited too! @doplhinsAUS #roadtorio https://t.co/mJ56IimqtT

— Ian Thorpe (@IanThorpe) July 28, 2016

“Now I think quite apart from anything else, that sends a very, very clear message.

“We have moved from a rules based regime to a values based regime.

“It is a great team to be a part of, I am so incredibly proud to call myself an Australian Dolphin and I think everyone on the team is extremely proud to call themselves an Australian Dolphin.

“I think you cannot compare where we are now to where we were in 2012 and I think it’s unfair and disrespectful to the athletes on this team to be constantly bringing up something that happened in 2012 and most of them were not a part of it.

“I had a great 2012 and I can look back on that with pride and I think that it’s not just the athletes that have changed, it’s the organisation.

Cate Campbell wants respect for the Australian swim team. Picture: Adam Head

“We have opened channels of communication, and it has been a great and liberating process to be a part of and I think we can very well and truly put this matter to rest.”

Backing Campbell’s comments was Ian Thorpe, who took to Twitter to show his support for the 2016 team.

“Well done @catecamp. I echo your sentiments completely. We have a swim team that we can be proud of and I can’t wait to see them ... in the pool in Rio. We are just over a week out and the entire @AusOlympicTeam will do us proud. I’m really excited for our Team and … it’s time for Australia to get excited too!”

Head coach Jacco Verhaeren said the Australian team had settled well into their US-based training camp ahead of Sunday’s relocation into Rio for the Olympics starting on August 5.

But the Australians were all unwilling to discuss the latest doping developments surrounding the Russian team that has had seven swimmers banned from competing in Rio.

Verhaeren said the ongoing saga had been a distraction but one they were trying to keep well away from the swimmers in the countdown to the Games.

“We don’t have any control over anything that everyone else is deciding on,” He said

“So we’re not bothered by it … we are there to race everybody who is there and leave all other decisions to the involved parties, so we’re not bothered by it.

“There is a time to talk about those things, this is not the time, it can only be a distraction from what this team is here for and I think the athletes that are there, not only the Australian team have earned the respect and attention and it’s unfortunate things like this get in the way of that and I get it, but it’s not going to distract us.”

Originally published as The Australian Dolphins defend new culture, put London debacle behind them