Don’t apologise for me, Virginia

It was tense between Emma McKeon, left. and Kyle Chalmers, second from right

When ABC Radio Melbourne presenter Virginia Trioli stifled a fan-girl giggle and rushed across the Qantas lounge at Sydney airport to apologise to swimmer Kyle Chalmers on behalf of “my fellow journalists”, she tossed her journalistic integrity out the window onto the tarmac.

That’s the journalistic integrity that guides most media professionals to ensure a story is covered from all angles and a light is shone on all the dynamics that determine what is going on in a high-profile team. It’s an old-fashion concept, I know, but we reckon if something is affecting the performance of the team – or club, or company, or political party – the public have a right to know about it.

Trioli apparently believes this doesn’t apply to swimmers. In a column on the ABC website, full of quivering, starry-eyed idolatry of athletes who “appear as if carved from some material I don’t understand”, she says she is “deeply ashamed” of the Australian media’s coverage of the swim team’s love-triangle dramas at the Commonwealth Games.

She took it upon herself, without any real knowledge of what was going on in the team, to apologise on behalf of all the rest of us.

ABC Radio host Virginia Trioli during her time on Q+A. Picture: Supplied

Well you can count me out, Virginia. And you can count out all the experienced swimming reporters who were observing what was going on at Birmingham’s Sandwell Aquatics Centre.

Let’s be clear: the tensions bouncing around between Chalmers, his ex-girlfriend Emma McKeon and her new partner Cody Simpson were real and they had an impact on the dynamic of the team.

Off the record, swimmers and coaches were saying so. Despite the team’s success, all was not right. There were splits and factions and discord that could undermine performance.

It started when Chalmers elected to swim at the world championships after originally saying he wouldn’t — a decision that ensured Simpson would not be selected. Chalmers denied any suggestion that his action was designed to deny Simpson.

And it was on show on the pool deck when Chalmers and McKeon were part of the team that won the mixed relay. The tension between the two was palpable. Although Chalmers later claimed he had congratulated McKeon, keen observers saw no evidence of it. He seemed more interested in shaking hands with members of the Canadian team.

And as they walked the length of the pool after the medal ceremony, Chalmers was deliberately 10 paces behind McKeon.

Something was clearly amiss and questions needed to be asked – the taxpayers who fund Australian swimming to the tune of $13m a year deserve to know if personal dynamics are affecting the team’s performance. It didn’t help when Chalmers posted a picture of himself holding his crotch on social media.

If this sort of thing had happened in any other sporting team, there would be no doubt the questions would be asked. If personal dynamics were affecting the performance of an NRL or AFL team, or a public company or a political party or a government, questions would be asked. Trioli, you never know, might even ask them.

McKeon, to her credit, responded gracefully when she was asked about her mindset with all the focus on her personal life. “I just focus on what I have to do,” she said. “I’m here to race, that’s just all I focus on, I’ve got a huge program here, my mind is on the job and I’m good doing that.’’

And despite suggestions from Trioli that Chalmers was hounded by the media, he was questioned at just two opportunities – one on the pool deck, one in a press conference – about the impact of his attitude on others in the team.

The swimming media then moved on to focus on gold medal triumphs in the pool – it was Chalmers who continued to raise the issue in emotive interviews on the Seven Network and provocative social media posts.

And Swimming Australia, only comfortable with cosy media coverage focusing on positive stories about smiling swimmers winning gold medals, tried to ban certain journalists from their press conferences.

It didn’t work of course. The journalists kept turning up and kept asking the questions. As they should.

Public figures such as Olympic swimmers sign up for a life where their performance is scrutinised by the media on behalf of the fans who admire them, support them and pay for them to compete.

Footy players accept it, entertainers accept it, politicians and corporate leaders accept it. One of the few who doesn’t is Trioli.

Not sure who you were apologising on behalf of Virginia, but it certainly wasn’t the serious sportswriters covering Australia’s performance at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.