Dawn Fraser, one of Australia’s swimming legends, appeared on Australian television to verbally attack Nick Kyrgios after the Australian tennis star lost a match at Wimbledon.
Kyrgios lost in four sets to Richard Gasquet in singles play at Wimbledon Monday, and was accused of giving up in the second set when it was clear he wouldn’t win. He was also reportedly impolite to the media when answering questions following the match.
Fraser, an eight-time Olympic medalist, showed her disapproval of Kyrgios’ attitude at Wimbledon during an interview on the “Today Show” on Nine Network in Australia.
“They’ve got too much money at an early age, … and they should be setting a better example for the younger generation of this great country of ours,” Fraser said. “If they don’t like it, go back to where their fathers or their parents came from. We don’t need them here in this country to act like that.”
An article on MSN.com also implies that Fraser’s comments were directed toward tennis player Bernard Tomic, who accused the national federation of not supporting him after a surgery and cutting costs at the expense of players.
Though born in Australia, Kyrgios’ father emigrated to Australia from Greece. Kyrgios went on the defensive after hearing of Fraser’s remarks, calling her a “blatant racist” on a Facebook post. Kyrgios’ mother, who was raised in Malaysia, added that Fraser “is out of line.”
Fraser volleyed back, saying “I’m not a racist person,” but did not back off her comments about Kyrgios’ “bad-mannered” behavior in England.
Fraser’s competitive career, which included three consecutive Olympic golds in the 100 freestyle, was somewhat overshadowed by incidents at the 1964 Olympics. She stole a flag from the emperor’s palace in Tokyo, marched in the opening ceremony against coaches’ demands and wore a swimsuit that was not designed by the team sponsor. The flag theft prompted Swimming Australia to impose a 10-year ban that was lifted before the 1968 Olympics. By then, however, Fraser was ill-prepared for a fourth Olympic appearance and retired officially from the sport.
Vladimir Anusic
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