While the rumors continue to swirl about China’s planning to build a swimming super center of sorts in Australia with Aussie Denis Cotterell at the helm, the storied and sometimes controversial coach continues to work with superstar Sun Yang.
Cotterell, who has guided such stellar athletes in the past as Grant Hackett and Michael Klim, most recently finished up his stint at Miami Swimming Club, which included an elite squad touting such names as Tommy Fraser-Holmes, Dan Smith and Swedish star Michelle Coleman. The group operated under Australia’s High Performance Centre program. However, the Olympic-caliber squad has now dissolved, with remaining members TFH moving to Bond Swimming Club and Smith now training at St. Peters Western.
The national coach has a long history of having worked with Chinese swimmers throughout his career. Not only has he hosted several different Chinese training groups throughout his time at Miami, Cotterell had a major hand in the success of Sun Yang at the 2012 Olympic Games, having originally formed a relationship with the multiple medalist back in 2008.
At the last Olympics in Rio, Sun was at the center of Aussie rival Mack Horton‘s ‘I don’t have time for drug cheats’ statement made at the Games. The two battled one another in the 400m freestyle, where Horton ultimately won gold, but not after he called Sun Yang out for his 3-month suspension back in 2014 for having tested positively for a banned substance.
However, 6 months removed from the Games, Cotterell warns Australians about being too critical of foreign athletes involved in doping situations when their own athletes aren’t immune to the same types of situations. Specifically, in an article for The Daily Telegraph, Cotterell cites Aussie Samantha Riley’s positive test back in 1995 and, most recently, Kylie Palmer‘s positive result in 2013 as falling under the same umbrella as Sun Yang, yet the public’s reaction was different.
“I was there when Sam got busted. Did we call her a cheat for the rest of her life? It’s nice when you’re in glass houses,” Cotterell says of the cloud that continues to cover Sun’s head ongoing.
“There is a distinction between positives and suspension types and if there isn’t, well, Kylie Palmer is a cheat and it’s lucky she didn’t come back. I’m not saying it but by that same dialogue, by that same rationale, Sam Riley is a cheat too. But we didn’t say that did we?”, Cotterell continued in the piece.
Regarding Horton’s comments specific to the Cotterell-trained Sun, the coach commented, “We go, ‘Oh yeah, great Mack. That’s a great statement’. And we say, ‘Oh yeah, we want a clean sport, we want this and that’. We say, ‘Oh doping isn’t systemic (in Australia), it’s not planned’.
“If you want to play that way, I mean, I’m not going to say it, but does race have something to do with it? I don’t know.”
In December of last year, Cotterell called recent reports claiming a formal contract has been signed between himself and Chinese swimming to the tune of $1 million as ‘rubbish.’
SunYang，you’re the best！love u！
All about the $$$ and his alcohol issues with Cotterell.
I have a long memory! Denis Cotterell also defended a very evil coach who he was responsible for at Miami, who was found guilty of emotionally abusing young swimmers. Not only did he support this coach & condone his abusive coaching he also publicly ridiculed parents who were brave enough to speak against a coach who was psychologically damaging young swimmers in his care. Mmmmmmmm the question no one is brave enough to ask… How much of Grant Hackett’s adult mental health issues are a direct result of spending countless hours with his coach Denis Cotterell & enduring his belittling demeaning ways. Just asking?????????
Is Cotterell DEFENDING drug cheats? If anyone lives in a glass house, Chinese, Aussie, US, Whatever… Throw the stones and watch the glass break! Cheating is cheating. Black and white. It is not a “complex issue”, it is cheating. Raze the glass houses. Hammer the cheats. I certainly would not go out of my way to defend the Chinese Swim Federation, as prolific a group of cheaters as there are in the sport. It is like supporting the Nazis in 1937 Germany. Cotterell played the “race card”, but he who plays the “Nazi card” first wins.
NazisNazisNazis . The US was not sp proud that it did not take numerous Nazi scientists & intelligence officers in its quest to defeat The USSR . Nor did NATO overlook the military wunderkinds as they got senioe positions after a slight”rehab”.
Besides that – you win the Godwin award .
There are several points here .
Sun Yang was on a prescribed heart med that was not banned . I don’t know how many other athletes used this or similar assistance but he can’t be the only one . Not having any heart issues myself , I don’t have any experience . I think ppl actually need closer contact with the drug themselves or medically to judge how effective it may have been.
The penalty is remiss , considering Sharipove tested 3 weeks into a ban & admitted .She received 2 years & on appeal downgraded to 15 months .The appeal took into account the vague ness of PED claims for Meldonium .As it stands she is the only… Read more »
Brian King’s mate Dennis Cotterell fails to understand that the public is prepared for positively tested athletes to go through the whole process and take what is dished out at the end as long as everybody goes through that same process.
He can go hang out with his suspended mate and make a good living by coaching whoever he wants ……….but don’t dare tell the rest of the swimming public what they are allowed to think or feel.
There should be zero tolerance for PEDS in all sports. It is especially concerning when the politicians/administrators coordinate the doping, most recently seen in Russia (2016 ban – Systemic doping – Stepanova whistleblower) and China (HGH – 1998 Australia Airport bust).
The IOC, WADA, and CAS have been making decisions based on politics, not fairness. In my opinion, there should be more athletes on these boards and less politicians.
Everyone should be treated the same, you are saying the exact same thing that Coterell is.
Cottrell has a point whether we like it or not.You can’t excuse one and not the other. But I think it is partly because Sun Yang lacks the likability factor. If you’re not likable any negative is exponentially magnified.
He is not likeable because he is non white