Olympic swimmers Dean Kent, Corney Swanepoel and Cameron
Gibson were expelled from the New Zealand team following an
unsavoury incident which embarrassed a teammate.
The three experienced Olympians took a photograph of the
drunk teammate sitting on the toilet in a prank at a social
function late last week before circulating it to other
teammates.
Their actions were deemed inappropriate by New Zealand team
chef de mission Dave Currie, who suspended Kent, Swanepoel
and Gibson from the team yesterday and expelled them from the
Olympic Village.
They spent their final night in Beijing at a neighbouring
hotel and weren't invited to a final team function.
However, they were to join the team on their flight out of
China today. The team are due to land in Auckland tomorrow
morning.
An NZOC spokesman said no further comment would be made after
releasing a short press statement overnight.
The identity of the photographed team member will not be made
public. He is described in the release as "one of our younger
team members" and had apologised for his behaviour at the
function.
"A couple of his teammates, in a fit of high spirits, took a
photo of him sitting on a toilet and, in what they saw as a
prank, circulated this photo to other team members." the
statement read.
"This was inappropriate and foolhardy behaviour at the end of
a long campaign, for which the team members concerned have
been suspended from the team.
"All three swimmers are very remorseful and have apologised
to team management for what was poor judgement on their part
and accept the punishment handed down."
The spokesman said the NZOC and Swimming New Zealand will
discuss which organisation, if any, will seek to impose
further penalties against the trio.
New Zealand were rocked in the closing stages of the 2006
Melbourne Commonwealth Games by an alcohol-fuelled incident
involving cyclists Tim Gudsell, Marc Ryan and Liz Williams.
Gudsell and Ryan were later found to have breached their
Cycling New Zealand athlete's agreement and ordered to seek
professional help to avoid a repeat.
New Zealand swimming head coach Jan Cameron was disappointed
members of her team had stepped out of line but didn't want
to be overly critical until the incident was reviewed in New
Zealand.
"It's very unfortunate," Cameron told NZPA.
"It's something that both Swimming New Zealand and the NZOC
will have to address, it's not something that can be
ignored."
Cameron said it didn't matter that the incident appeared to
be relatively minor. The three swimmers involved should have
known better, she said.
"Any time protocol isn't followed, it has to be addressed.
They know that and we'll look at it in greater depth when we
get home."
Swimming competition finished on August 17, with the last New
Zealand event the 4x100m medley relay team featuring
Swanepoel and Gibson, who finished fifth in the final with a
national record performance.
Both are at their second Olympics after competing at Athens
four years ago.
England-based Gibson, 26, was a bronze medallist at Melbourne
while South African-born Swanepoel, 22, performed strongly in
Beijing, setting a national record in making his 100m
butterfly semifinal.
Kent, at 29, was the veteran of the 15-strong Games swimming
team, attending his third Olympics.
He didn't advance beyond the heats of the 200m individual
medley and announced his retirement soon afterwards.
Currie told NZPA before the Games started that there was no
need to remind athletes about the need for good behaviour
post-competition.
"We only have one rule in the Olympic team, that we respect
one another," he said.
"It's a high performance environment. If you've got the
respect of athletes while you're performing, when you've
finished you've then got the respect of others."
