Why it’s unfair to send Australian Olympians home from Paris Games early

The ridiculous athletes’ village ban raises many issues for the team and athletes, things which may not have been anticipated by the Australian Olympic Committee.

The Paris Olympics have begun and for some Australian athletes they are just days away from being kicked out of the country and sent back home due to the ridiculous village ban.

Not only did they miss the opening ceremony on the River Seine but they will be booted out of the athletes’ village 48 hours after they compete and miss the closing ceremony too.

This raises many issues for the team and athletes, things which may not have been anticipated when the Australian Olympic Committee introduced this new rule.

CLOSING FLAG BEARER

We have four women in this swim team who would be in contention for flag bearer at the closing ceremony. Emma McKeon will retire after these Games as the standout athlete for the most medals in Australian Olympic history.

Ariarne Titmus, Kaylee McKeown and Mollie O’Callaghan will win record medal hauls in Paris. All four would be great flag bearers.

Emma McKeon and Kaylee McKeown would be in contention for flag bearer at the closing ceremony. Picture: Getty Images

But, as confirmed by Anna Meares when I asked her at the press conference, there are no special rules or plans in place to make sure a potential flag bearer is invited to stay at the village.

If they don’t stay in Paris or in Europe at their own expense, then they would need to pay to fly back to Paris from Australia. The entire situation is unprecedented and seems to lack all common sense.

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LOST MONEY

Olympic athletes don’t make a lot of money and for the ones who do, most of those contracts would have obligations and clauses that need to be fulfilled after you finish competing.

You make money leading into the Games but afterwards they the sponsors’ bigwigs all want to schmooze with the athletes. People think the second week I was just partying in London. Sure, there was an aspect of that, but I actually had a lot of work to do. When you go to an Olympic Games, it’s different. The competition is the most important, but after that there’s the opening ceremony, the closing ceremony, the village and there’s the night-life.

Paris Olympics 2024- The Australian swim team including Anna Meares, Chef de Mission, Head Coach Rohan Taylor, Zac Stubblety-Cook, and Bronte Campbell hold a press conference at the Main Press Centre. James Magnussen asks a question as part of the press contingent Pics Adam Head

That’s what ignites the Olympic dream for a lot of young athletes. That’s what I enjoyed. That’s what Anna Meares enjoyed. We’ve all got lifetime memories.

I just feel really sorry for our young athletes who are at their first or only Olympics that they don’t get the full experience unless they have the money.

Originally published as Why it’s unfair to send Australian Olympians home from Paris Games early