Read USA Today, ugly stories about bullying are making their way around Australia, suggesting that a toxic team atmosphere may have been to blame for their team’s lackluster effort.
“It is believed (a) young swimmer allegedly bullied was repeatedly called derogatory names such as “fatty” and “chubby” because of his physique and simultaneously slapped behind the head by the older athletes,” news.com.au writes. “The bullying became so confronting that the younger athlete spent the rest of the Olympics avoiding the men who instigated the attacks. He was also targeted further, leading to an altercation with another male swimmer in front of stunned teammates that resulted in torn T-shirts.”
