Team door open despite FINA ban
HEAD coach Jacco Verhaeren has rejected claims Thomas Fraser-Holmes would not be welcome back in the Australian swimming team after serving a year-long FINA ban.
Fraser-Holmes was banned by the sport’s international body after missing three drug tests when he failed to update his “whereabouts” to be available to out-of-competition testers.
The Gold Coaster only returned to competition at this week’s Pan Pac trials in Adelaide and while he narrowly missed qualifying for the 4x200m relay, Verhaeren said he would have been warmly welcomed back if he had.
“I’ve been very impressed with Tommy,” Verhaeren said.
“Of course it was a hard lesson for him to learn when he was suspended.
“As an athlete and as a professional, he turned things around amazingly.
“There’s always two options in these cases.
“You can blame the whole world, or you can take responsibility and make sure it never happens again and look forward in your career.
“I’m always impressed by people in life who make mistakes and take responsibility and work on that to prevent it from happening (again) and put themselves in a better position.”
When his ban was announced by world governing body FINA, Fraser-Holmes was overseas competing and unceremoniously removed from the team hotel in a move that angered some of his Australian teammates.
Rumours also emerged he may not be welcomed back into the national squad but Verhaeren said that was definitely not the case.
“On team there had never been a discussion that he wouldn’t be welcomed back,” Verhaeren said.
“He missed tests, which was not professional at the time but human beings make mistakes and everyone that owns those mistakes and takes responsibility earns respect.
“And I think with this experience, he can turn it into a positive for the team as well.”
While Fraser-Holmes will not compete in Tokyo next month, he has shown enough at this meet to suggest he can return to the form that led him to Olympic finals at the London and Rio Olympics.
“I’m proud of the way that I swam (at the trials) but I’m more proud of the way I’ve developed as a person,” FraserHolmes said.
“I’ve just used my time really wisely. This (meet), for me, was always the build-up for Tokyo and is probably the spark I need for Tokyo.
“I’m just so proud of myself and the way I’ve dealt with it. It’s been the best and worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”