Swm: Schipper didn't know coach had sold secrets

AAP General News (Australia)
08-18-2008
Swm: Schipper didn't know coach had sold secrets

By Nicky Park

SYDNEY, Aug 18 AAP - Jess Schipper's parents say it's a blessing she didn't know her
coach had sold his racing secrets to her Chinese competitor until after she swam her final
race at the Beijing Olympics.

It turns out Ken Wood had trained 19-year-old Liu Zige, the swimmer who took gold -
and the world record - in the 200m butterfly in which Schipper won bronze.

Wood runs a high performance swim school north of Brisbane, which Liu attended three
times before buying his coaching program.

Schipper's parents, Jenny and Wolfgang, said their daughter found out about Wood's
actions after winning gold as part of the 4x100m medley women's relay.

"We didn't know anything about it, I don't think Jess knew anything about it either,
so that was a little upsetting," Mrs Schipper told the Nine Network.

She said her daughter wanted to see her after yesterday's relay.

"She said: `Have you heard what's going on at home?' and I said: `Yeah, I have' and
she said: `I just heard just now'," Mrs Schipper said.

"So she'd only heard after the race, (which is good) cause I think that would have
made her a little bit upset."

Mr Schipper said he was eager to speak to Wood about the reports, but he still held
his daughter's long-term coach in high esteem.

"Ken and Jess have been an absolutely tremendous and awesome combination for quite
a number of years," he said.

He said it was up to his daughter to decide what happened next.

"She's 21, she's old enough to make those decisions now," he said.

Australian Olympic head John Coates said Australia had no right to point the finger
at coaches who passed on their knowledge to international athletes.

Coates agreed with Dolphins head coach Alan Thompson who said Australian coaches had
to make a living - and Australia had poached international coaches in the past.

AAP nap/jmt

KEYWORD: OLY08 SECRETS SCHIPPER

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