Spoilt-child rant by Bovell

Everywhere I have been following Bovell’s failure in the pool and his tirade, the conversation centred around this arrogant 32-year-old man.

While a few people felt his outburst on the world swim body’s approach to anti-doping in the sport was justified, everyone of them agreed that neither was this the right forum nor was he the correct member of Team TT O to berate the world body, FINA or F?d?ration internationale de natation (English: International Swimming Federation).

It was not his call as an athlete paid for by taxpayers’ money to publicly make accusatory allegations on this very touchy subject and moreso not to the London Guardian or any media for that matter.

That is exactly why one person is usually appointed communications specialist, public relations officer, call it what you may, to present the organisation’s views to the media.

Bovell’s job was to swim and he didn’t do a very good job of it either.

His outburst left me wondering, “Did he hit his head on the wall of the pool to behave in such a boorish and out-of-place manner?” Then I remembered who has been his coach for many, many years and said to myself, “No wonder.” Bovell’s fifth Olympic outing, not to mention so many other top-of-the-line world class swim championships, should have taught him that there is a chain of protocol for who says what to the media.

At the time he gave his venomous interview, the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TT OC) was represented in Rio by its president, Brian Lewis; Chef de Mission Dr Ian Hypolite, TT OC Secretary General Annette Knott, and other officials, whose advice he should have sought before sounding off as he did.

Sure, George, you are allowed to express your allegations, which surprisingly never surfaced all the time you were picking up your multiple medals, but to your peers, coach, manager if you had one, and not to the world media. This was totally unsportsmanlike behaviour.

Matters of that nature should be dealt with by the TT OC, FINA and maybe your local association and between them they will issue the statement on a subject which could have far and wide-reaching consequences for our country.

Tell you what was wrong, George The Third, at your age you are too old for that particular sport and you and your handlers should have known when it was time for you to bow out.

Actually, you dared to mention “considering” not swimming at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Please don’t even think of it at age 36 when we have so many younger swimmers like 20-year-old Dylan Carter, who knew how to conduct himself and was thrilled “to finally break through”, although he must have been very disappointed having won the fourth men’s 100 metres freestyle heat in a national record time of 48.80 seconds, erasing your seven- year-old record from the books, and yet failed to secure a semi-final berth.

I am scared to even suggest you take up coaching because who wants that arrogant attitude passed on to our young swimmers. I truly hope the TT OC hauls you severely over the coals and demands that you apologise to the country as a whole for these allegations made in the wrong forum.

On the panel for the press conference from Team TT O was Hypolite, Knott and George Commissiong (athletics team manager). The team discussed its selection of the venue for the training camp, Team TT O’s Rio 2016 contingent, and the Olympic Games.

ANGELA PIDDUCK via email