RIO 2016: Scott Volkers, the swimming coach who was alleged of sexual abuse in Australia in the 80s, will not be part of the Brazilian delegation at the Olympics in Rio.
Last week, the president of the Australian Olympic Committee, John Coates, made an appeal in writing to Carlos Arthur Nuzman, who is the President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) and organizer of the Rio 2016 Committee, to ask that Volkers not be accredited for the event.
On Tuesday, the BBC Brazil found that the COB officially advised Australians they would meet the request.
In the past decade, Volkers was on trial for charges made by three swimmers, but a court ruled there was insufficient evidence to try him. Still, the country's authorities prohibited him from working with children under 16 years.
In 2011, Volkers moved to Brazil and took charge of the swimming Minas Tennis Club, where some of the main competing swimmers of the Brazilian Olympic team.
The Australian, who once worked with Cesar Cielo, the best known name of the Brazilian swimming, denies the charges.
The BBC Brazil tried to interview him through the Club Minas without success.
Through its press office, the Mines said it had been notified of the decision of the COB, but said the club has no problem exclusion.
"We are pleased with the presence of eight of our athletes on the team. The call of the coaches is a decision of CDBA and not been announced yet. About Scott, the club has to say that his conduct has been exemplary," said one of the aides Mines, Rodrigo Fuscaldi.
According to the regulations of the Brazilian Confederation of Water Sports (CBDA) Volkers, because of the number of athletes who Minas provides the selection, would be able to occupy one of the seven wave of coaches that have Brazilian swimming in 2016.
The entity would have even informed the Mine that the Australian will be replaced by another coach, Fernando Antonio Vanzella. The BBC Brazil found that the CBDA would have been advised by the International Swimming Federation (Fina) not to select Volkers for the Games. Officially, the CBDA said only that the team was not yet formed, but the technical coordinator Ricardo Moura admitted in an interview last week that the controversy could cost the job to Volkers.
"Certainly the issue is a warning," he said.
Anyway, the final say in the formation of the Brazilian delegation is the COB, responsible for the accreditation of both athletes and support staff.
In the letter sent to Nuzman, Coates went further to ask the coach is prevented from participating in the Olympics. Recommends it to be banned from work.
Coates included in the letter a copy of a survey in which an Australian government commission expressed concern over the allegations and criticized the decision of the Australian Court not to take the process forward.
"We believe it (Volkers) should not be involved in any way with the Rio 2016," says the Australian leader in the letter.
In Belo Horizonte, the Australian works with swimmers of all ages. The Minas Tenis said "have done extensive research and interviews" on Volkers and also met with parents of swimmers to discuss hiring. According to the club, the coach "has received a vote of confidence" from parents.
The CBDA also not put obstacles to the work of Volkers, on the grounds that he had not been convicted on the charges and had not committed crimes in Brazil.And also used in the national team.
Volkers became famous in the world of swimming for having guided the career of Australian Samantha Riley and Susie O'Neill, two of the most successful swimmers of the modern era.
In a recent interview with the Australian newspaper Daily Telegraph, Coates mentions the fact that the coach has not been convicted by the courts, but claims to have talked about it with Nuzman when the two met in Lausanne, Switzerland, during the passage ceremony Olympic torch the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
"Nuzman understood the seriousness of this matter. I can not force his exclusion (Volkers), but had a duty to draw the attention of Brazilians," said the Australian.
In 2014, Volkers gave an interview to Australian newspaper The Courier Mail , in which he said "be a normal person."
"I'm not a fugitive. I visit Australia every year," he said.
That same year, however, he was prevented by the authorities to participate in an international swimming tournament in Gold Coast, when he had denied application for accreditation. The CBDA opted to replace him in the delegation.
BBC Brazil (translation modified)
