GOLD MEDAL MEL

NATIONAL SWIM COACH: Monk's injuries threaten Australia's Olympic relay in London

via www.theage.com.au: AUSTRALIAN national head swim coach Leigh Nugent yesterday said he would not stand in judgment of Olympic hopeful Kenrick Monk's poor decisions, but was concerned by the potential damage his injury could have on the success of the team in London next year.

GMM: Aussie swimming star, Kenrick Monk, infamous for lying about a hit-and-run accident that left his elbow broken, confessed it was a skateboard accident. Now that the drama of the lie and the accident has subsided, Leigh Nugent, Aussie National Team Coach, is worried for his Olympic 4x200 freestyle relay. 

 (PHOTO: Nugent, Aussie National Team Coach)

Australia is known and respected globally for assembling a powerhouse swimming squad at every Olympic Games. A true rival of Team USA, amazingly Australia pulls talent from a population of just over 20 million, less than one-tenth the talent pool of the United States...but, because of their scant numbers, every single swimmer counts. 

Monk's antics matter. They do impact the Aussie Olympic Team.

National Team Head Coach, Nugent, is right to be worried (and privately I'm sure he's pissed-off). With Ian Thorpe's return to competitive swimming, Australia has a real shot at Olympic hardware in London (2012) in the 4x200 freestyle relay. 

''We can ill-afford to have someone of his (Monk's) capabilities missing in that 4 x 200 freestyle so hopefully he'll get patched up and get going again," Nugent told theage.com.au.  

''It's just disappointing that he's put his preparation in jeopardy and the fact that he may not be as good as he could be is a possibility now, so it's just a wait-and-see but you deal with what you've got.''

Kenrick Monk lied about hit-and-run, now confesses it was a skateboard crash

via www.heraldsun.com.au: INJURED swimmer Kenrick Monk's Olympic hopes are in deep water after he was yesterday forced to confess that his hit-and-run story was a lie.

GMM: Kenrick Monk, the Aussie star swimmer, cried in shamed as he confessed that his broken elbow was caused by a skateboard accident. 

Kenrick lied to police, saying it was a hit-and-run accident, that he was harmed intentionally by a rogue driver on the streets. After a witness came forward discounting Kenrick's story, Kenrick crumbled in tears confessing the truth. 

Kenrick, a world-class athlete receiving support from the Australian Olympic Committee (Swimming Australia), is subject to certain standards of behavior. In sum, you can't be reckless outside of the pool. You can't engage in dangerous action-sports. Whether or not skate boarding will be deemed reckless is up for review. With the cloud of this lie hanging over the review, Kenrick could be penalized, though it'll probably be a symbolic punishment. Kenrick appears to have suffered enough, and he'll certainly get a global lashing by the media for the next 48 hours.   

"I panicked, I freaked. I was embarrassed something stupid. I felt like I'd let everyone down to know that I'd fallen off a skateboard - it's something 10-year-olds can ride," Monk told the Herald Sun in Australia.

What are the take-away lessons here: Don't lie, and if you're a swimmer, even a world-class swimmer, you probably aren't an action sports talent, not even close.

On a serious side note, swimmers do seem to get injuried "on land" a lot. Considering most elites swim further than they drive each day, land-based activities can be hazardous. It is not uncommon for high-level NCAA swimming-programs to have rules prohibiting riding skateboards, motorcycles, even bicycles. 

***Kenrick  potentially faces crimial charges for lying to the police.  

HERE'S VIDEO OF KENRICK'S CONFESSION: