Weir slams Aussie coach who called him a ‘disgrace’
Six-time Paralympic champion David Weir has revealed he called time on his Great Britain career after being labelled a “disgrace to the country” by British Athletics’ wheelchair racing coach Jenni Banks. Weir reiterated Friday he will not represent Great Britain again and so won’t end his career at the 2017 IPC World Championships in London as he spoke about his row with Australian coach Banks for the first time.
The flare-up took place during last year’s Paralympic Games after the British team bowed out in the heats of the 4x400 metres T53/54 relay heats in Rio.
“Obviously the relay didn’t go to plan. I wanted us to win a medal, I wanted us to get to the final, I thought we were good enough to win a medal,” he said. “At the last minute I changed my gloves, I felt I was getting more grip and power, but it didn’t work. I just didn’t get any power, I couldn’t pick my speed up.”
Weir added: “I literally came off the track and she came running over and accused me of sabotaging the team and doing it on purpose. “She said I was a disgrace to the country and told me if I didn’t want to do the relay I should have said so.
“There were a few words thrown back and forwards. A lot of the other international teams saw what went on and were absolutely disgusted with the way she spoke to me.”
‘MOUTHING OFF’
Weir said he spoke to Britain’s Paralympic head coach Paula Dunn immediately after the incident. “Paula said ‘are you OK? Don’t worry about the relay, just focus on the marathon now,’” Weir xplained. “She didn’t realise what had just happened. I had to tell her and then Jenni Banks came running over and started mouthing off again.
“I asked her to go away again because it was a private conversation, so there were a few heated words backwards and forwards, and that was it. I didn’t talk to her again. “It’s not just me she’s done it to. It’s other athletes who have complained about her in the past,” said Weir at a promotional event for April’s London Marathon British Athletics said Banks was unavailable for comment but released a statement acknowledgibng there had indeed been a row. “We can confirm there was a frank exchange of views between an athlete and the relay coach following the race when the GB men’s wheelchair team failed to qualify for the final,” the statement read.
“We can also confirm that we have met with David Weir to receive first hand his feedback on his experiences in Rio, and that we are working to ensure we learn from these experiences ahead of future team events.” As for reports, denied by British Athletics, that Banks had thrown his racing wheelchair across a room, Weir said: “I laughed when I heard about. I thought it was hilarious. I didn’t know she had thrown my chair until the day I was flying home,” he said.
“We still don’t know if she did it or not. But other athletes saw it-international athletes saw it as well.” Weir plans to race in the London Marathon for a 17th successive year in April and win the race for the seventh time. — AFP