Cate Campbell has clarified comments that were widely publicised in the US during last year’s world championships, while ‘gently’ encouraging her American rivals to understand Australian humour.
Cate Campbell says her infamous “sore losers” remark about the USA swimming team was not intended to be disrespectful, but the four-time Olympian encouraged her American rivals not to see themselves as the centre of the sporting universe – and to better understand Australian humour.
Campbell also insisted there was no bad blood with Kaylee McKeown after the Australian backstroke star criticised her senior teammate for the inflammatory remarks that upset a number of US athletes and fans. “Kaylee and I have never had a problem,” Campbell told this masthead. “We’ve chatted about it. The things that she said were in jest. She is also very blunt, she has no filter. In no way was there animosity directed at anyone. “It was just funny because, let’s face it, America does like to be the best, and they do like to make it seem like they’re the best at everything. “For goodness sake, when they have their baseball championships, they call it the World Series when it’s just America . When they’re the Super Bowl champions, they say they’re the champions of the world. You’re the champions of America.” For the first time in more than two decades, Australia topped the medal tally at last year’s world championships, winning nearly double the gold medals of their US rivals .But US television network NBC put the USA at No.1 on their tally because they won more medals in total than the Dolphins . Usually, a nation’s position is determined by the number of gold medals won, with silver and bronze medals used to determine positions if two or more nations are tied on golds. Campbell, who did not race in Japan, was interviewed on the Today Show with Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo afterStefanovic said the Americans were, “sore, pathetic losers” before Campbell was asked for her opinion on the issue. “Such sore losers,” Campbell agreed. “I mean, Australia coming out on top of the world is one thing, but it is just so much sweeter beating America.ring out through the stadium. I cannot tell you how happy that made me. If I hear that song again it will be too soon. Bring on Paris. That’s all I have to say to the US. Stop being sore losers.” American breaststroker Lilly King tweeted shortly after: “Sorry we aren’t so uptight we can’t cheer for our teammates as they walkout for events. See you in Paris.” Campbell’s interview was widely picked up in US media. Seven months on, she says she was surprised at the backlash that came with her comments, but stands by them – insisting they were made respectfully. “Everything that was said was said in jest,” said Campbell. “Things were taken out of context and things got a lot bigger than it needed to be. “Oh man, I want to say something, but I don’t want the Americans to come after me again because it was quite intense. Okay, let me just say, I don’t think Americans understand the Australian sense of humour because when you respect someone, you gently take the mickey out of them and that is 100 per cent what I was doing. “By any stretch of the imagination, you can say that Australia came out of those world championships as the best team in the world. They had the most number of gold medals. We broke five world records and I still stand by the fact that I think that Australia was the best swimming team in the world. Emma McKeon, Chelsea Hodges, Kaylee McKeown and Cate Campbell after claiming gold in the women’s 4x100m medley relay in Tokyo.“However, that is not taking away from the incredible performances that the US team put down. We love a rivalry, we love gently ribbing our opposition. “It got totally blown out of proportion and I realised that Americans do not have the Australian sense of humour, so I’ll just be a little more mindful of that next time.” A few days after Campbell’s interview, McKeown, who won three individual gold medals in Fukuoka, was asked what she thought of her teammate’s stance. “I think everyone is entitled to an opinion … I just don’t agree with how Cate went about expressing her opinion,” McKeown told Ben Fordham’s 2GB program. “I’m all for rivalry and that kind of thing but there’s no need to be nasty about it in some ways. I’m personally not about that.”Campbell says the pair, who could swim on the same medley relay team in Paris, have patched things up. “I have nothing but the utmost respect for the American swim team and the American swimmers,” Campbell said. “I have great friends who are American swimmers. I need to be mindful that not everyone understands the Australian sort of larrikin sense of humour and that people can take things a bit more seriously than what they were intended. “It’s why our countries are so good because we’ve been pushing each other. I don’t know why rivalries are seen as this bad thing.” Campbell took a break from swimming after the Tokyo Olympics but has been training hard in a bid to make the Dolphins squad for Paris. The 31-year-old is vying for a top-two spot in the 100m freestyle but will be taken as a relay swimmer if she can finish in the top six at Australia’s trials in Brisbane in June.
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‘We love a rivalry’: Campbell sets record straight on USA ‘sore losers’ barbCate Campbell has clarified comments that were widely publicised in the US during last year’s world championships, while ‘gently’ encouraging her American rivals to understand Australian humour.
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