The 2019 FINA Aquatic World Championships saw its first medal ceremony filled with drama, as the men’s 400m freestyle silver medalist, Australia’s Mack Horton, protested gold medalist Sun Yang‘s presence by abstaining from podium celebrations, standing behind the platform on the floor during the Chinese national anthem.
Horton’s behavior is having ripple effects more than 6 months later, as his childhood school of Caulfield Grammar is reportedly shying away from naming its new state-of-the-art aquatic center after its first Olympic champion constituent.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Caulfield Grammar was considering naming its $25 million center after Horton, but plans are being reevaluated due to the public fall-out from Horton’s defiance in Gwangju.
The school has ties to China which could be tainted if they were to move forward with honoring Horton. Caulfield Grammar was the first Australian school to open a campus in mainland China, says SMH, and Chinese children comprise a large percentage of the school’s secondary Wheelers Hill campus outside Melbourne.
“Will Beijing determine the kind of words and language that are usable at Caulfield Grammar?” asked Clive Hamilton, an author and academic who has examined China’s reach into Australian institutions. “It’s completely beyond the pale. Mack Horton’s courage in calling out a drug cheat contrasts with Caulfield Grammar cowardice in kowtowing to a foreign power.” (SMH)
Federal MP Tim Wilson, whose electorate of Goldstein lies just south of the school’s main campus, wrote to Caulfield Grammar on Monday calling on the school to overturn the decision, which he said sent a “truly disturbing message” (SMH)
Caulfield Grammar principal Ashleigh Martin issued a statement on Monday, insisting that no decision on the new facility’s name had yet been made.
“The school has not started a process for naming the facility after any individual or decided at this time if it will be named after any individual. The naming of buildings at Caulfield Grammar School is a school council decision and discussions relating to the naming of the Caulfield Aquatic Centre have not commenced.
“Caulfield Grammar School and its community have great pride, respect and admiration for Mack Horton, both as an Olympic swimmer and as a Caulfield grammarian.”
There was never any discussion about naming it after Mack! I think if the school were to name it after anyone it should be Denis Meyer – a man that is greatly admired for his lengthy service to CGS.
Name the warm down pool after Sun Yang. Cuz that’s where all the stuff goes down.
Looking at the pic & the building commission., it appears to be a 60 mtr pool with transitional / moveable floors.. Multi functional for swimming , water polo , learn to swim / agility concurrently.
None of this 25 yard stuff . 60 Mtres !
I don’t see a problem.
I don’t think Horton will care much.
they can put his name behind the building.
If free speech is a valued concept in Australia or anywhere, people should quit worrying about Chinese money and the possible loss of it if you don’t agree with them. This goes for the NBA as well.
solution: name it “Not Hortons”
Did people really think China were investing hugely in infrastructure and all sorts of private businesses in the West purely for financial reason? It gives China massive leverage – Investment is a powerful political tool.
This ranks as one of the dumbest things I’ve seen on swimswam. This is the guy who got a pity spot on the Australian team for 2019 worlds because he couldn’t even qualify. There are so many other Australians I would choose to name a pool after like one of the australians who have set a world record.
He is a Olympic champion and after he got that pity spot he won silver at the World championship behind someone with a dubious track record. Plus he won the gold as part of the 4×200, with one of the fastest legs.
The trails/national championships is possibly as important as worlds. If America had a pity spot, we could have (based off of us nationals and Pan Ams):
Held – 100 free, would have ended up 3rd in worlds
Rooney – 100 free, would have ended up 3rd in worlds
Rooney – 100 fly, would have ended up 2nd in worlds
Katz – 200 back, would have ended up 3rd in worlds
Swanson – 400 Im, would have ended up 3rd in worlds
Also both 4×100 free and 4×100 medley relays could have possibly been faster.
The funny thing is if Horton were American he’d have qualified for the 400m no probs because you don’t have the tight qualifying standards that Australia has and he was under the FINA A standard no probs. Also your “pity spot” would result in removal of other swimmers from the team in favour of those mentioned while Mack Horton got individual swims no one qualified for. Horton wouldn’t have gotten those spots if someone else qualified.
ExactlyTroyy, it seems, DBSWIMS doesn’t understand the qualifying process. All those American swimmers finished behind another qualifier.
Horton finished 2nd in the 400 free, but missed the Tough Australian WC qualification by 0.3 of a second, he then qualified for the WC for the 4×200 relay. Now Australia had vacancy in the 400 metres & they had Horton in the team, an Olympic champion & a silver medalist from previous WC in this event.
Now Australia had the selector (pity) choice in the 400 metres & silly not to give the Olympic champion that ‘pity’ choice, but he would not be taking any other swimmers place (like those American swimmers you mentioned would have).
It was a… Read more »
Possibly one of the stupidest comments I have read here. No one internationally is telling the USA how to select their team. For whatever reasons in certain years, ie Pan Pac summers, they have decided to select their World’s team a year out and must acknowledge that potential later bloomers and medal threats may be left at home. Make their bed and sleep in it. Each country has, and should have, their own way to best select those to represent at major international meets including selection based on passed performance in case of an off swim. Simple as that…
None of those other Australias are alumni of that school.
Oof, I read over that it was his old school. Thought it was a normal club pool. Mb