A swimming coach under investigation by the Sports Integrity Commission has been banned from Splash Palace. The Otago Daily Times asked the Invercargill City Council yesterday whether Jeremy Duncan was banned from Invercargill’s main swimming facility. In a response the council said the individual named in the newspaper’s query was prohibited from entering Splash Palace at present. This precautionary measure was taken following information and advice received by the council last Thursday and in accordance with council’s responsibility to provide a safe environment for facility users, a council spokesperson said. The council spokesperson said the restriction would remain in place while relevant external processes were under way and would be reviewed when further information was available. As these processes involved other agencies and related to an identifiable individual, it would not comment on their nature, status or the information provided to the council and would not be commenting further at this stage. Any further queries were best directed to Swimming New Zealand, the council spokesperson said. Swimming NZ chief executive Steve Johns did not reply to a request to comment yesterday. Mr Duncan, a former Olympic swimming coach, has been under investigation after a complaint about his behaviour was lodged. It is unclear when the alleged behaviour occurred. The complaint went through Swimming Southland and then Swimming New Zealand and it was then handed to the Sport Integrity Commission. The commission does not comment publicly on investigations and has not given any details on the subject of the complaints. Mr Duncan has run a swimming school at Splash Palace in Invercargill for more than 20 years. It is believed the investigation centres on the treatment of some of the primary school-aged members of the squad. In an update on its progress, seen by the Otago Daily Times, the commission said it had gathered information from relevant parties. It was now engaging with an external agency regarding concerns more appropriately within that agency’s scope and jurisdiction. It did not say what agency was being engaged. Swimming NZ chief executive Steve Johns said in February Swimming NZ and Swimming Southland were aware of a complaint and had undertaken all available actions. Mr Duncan swam for New Zealand though he never went to the Olympic Games as a competitor. He began coaching in Christchurch and moved to Invercargill in 2003, where he started swimming school H20 Dreams. It was renamed Southland Swim School and Swim Academy in 2022. Mr Duncan coached Southland swimmer Natalie Wiegersma at the 2012 London Olympic Games, where he was an assistant coach. Swimming New Zealand chief executive Steve Johns said last week he did not know the identity of the other agency. He said people had raised the issue with him of why Mr Duncan was still continuing to coach. Swimming NZ had no authority or control over what a private coach did at a public facility. That was an issue for the Invercargill City Council, he said. Mr Duncan could not be contacted.
