Peace talks yet to begin in Olympic sport feud

A fragile détente has broken out between the AOC and Australian Sports Commission but for how long?

AOC president John Coates after winning re-election earlier this month

A fragile detente has broken out between the Australian Olympic Committee and the Australian Sports Commission since the bitterly fought AOC presidency election, but it remains to be seen if the two organisations can broker a lasting peace.

The ugly feud that developed between AOC president John Coates and ASC president John Wylie in the Rio Olympic year, and sparked the first contested AOC presidential election in 30 years, has been a huge distraction for the 40 Olympic sports caught in the crossfire.

Since Coates vanquished his challenger, ASC board member Danni Roche, to retain the AOC presidency two weeks ago, overtures have been made on both sides to end the rift.

Coates said on the day of the election he intended to call Wylie personally to begin mending their relationship, and Wylie responded by saying this was a “welcome and very positive development’’.

“It is in the national interest that there be strong and positive working relationships between the ASC and the AOC and all our sector partners, including the Paralympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Australia,’’ Wylie said.

Coates phoned Wylie yesterday and they had a cordial conversation which will assist the process. New AOC chief executive Matt Carroll met with his ASC counterpart, Kate Palmer, and federal Sports Minister Greg Hunt last week to map out the common ground between them.

The AOC has also begun to address the internal governance problems that were revealed during the election campaign, restruc­turing its administration along more regular lines with all staff reporting to Carroll, who has also commissioned an independent review of workplace culture.

However, there remain two large philosophical differences between the AOC and ASC that will be hard to resolve.

Coates does not believe in the ASC’s Winning Edge strategy of narrow, targeted funding for elite sport and he disagrees with Wylie’s push to improve the governance of national sports federations by parachuting noted businessmen into board chair positions.

One of Australia’s best international coaches, Ric Charlesworth, also argues that corporate high flyers don’t necessarily make great leaders in sport.

“The experience of businessmen running sports has largely not been successful,’’ he said.

“You need people with business acumen, but they also have to have the time, energy, passion and expertise that sport requires.’’