Review details ‘toxic’ environment in Aussie Olympic swim team

A review into the Australian swimming team’s performance at the London Olympics has detailed a “toxic” environment including misuse of prescription drugs and bullying.

Australia’s only swimming gold medal at the London last year Games was in the women’s 4x100-metre freestyle relay, with the high-profile men’s relay and world champion James Magnussen failing to deliver on the expectations from a country which prides itself on his performances in the Olympic pool. Australia won 10 swimming medals overall, including six silver and three bronze.

It was Australia’s worst Olympic swimming performance in two decades.

The problem-plagued squad has been the subject of two reviews, including the Bluestone Review released on Tuesday which outlined the “culturally toxic incidents” and the “lack of collective leadership” in response.

The independent review noted cases of “getting drunk, misuse of prescription drugs, breaching curfews, deceit, bullying”.

“Situations were left to bleed,” the report said, adding that swimmers felt alone and alienated and described their London experience as the “lonely Olympics.”