British-born head athletics coach, Eric Hollingsworth, has been suspended by his country’s athletics association following his public criticism of defending Commonwealth 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson.
A statement released by Athletics Australia said it had taken the action because Hollingsworth defied its instructions by using a public relations consultant to make his comments, and because they came less than 24-hours before the start of the hurdles competition.
“Athletics Australia is bitterly disappointed that Eric Hollingsworth has chosen to make a statement to the media at a time when our focus as a group should be wholly on supporting our athletes’ performances,” the statement read.
Adding: “He acted without the authority of Athletics Australia and in contravention of the specific instructions of the chief executive officer.”
The statement also revealed Athletics Australia had suspended Hollingsworth without pay pending an investigation.
In his stinging attack on Pearson, who is the Australian athletics’ team captain, Hollingsworth accused the star of setting a “bad example” by not turning up to the athletes’ village until Sunday evening.
Hollingsworth said: “She’s the team captain and there’s a reasonable expectation she’d be in the camp ahead of something as major as the Commonwealth Games. Her no-show sets a bad example to the entire national team.”
The pair are rumoured to have fallen out after Pearson failed to win gold at the World Indoor Championships, in Sopot, earlier in the year. Many observers in the sport believe the relationship between the athlete and the coach has soured since the incident despite previously working well together for many years.
Hollingsworth, who is a previous decathlete and has trained with Daley Thompson, has been sent home from the games and he has been stripped of his accreditation with immediate effect.
