Apologies for the extended break once again readers, but there was a bit of Jubilee partying to be taken care of last week. This week further furore has appeared regarding a British athlete who was expecting to be a big part of London 2012. Taekwondo star, Aaron Cook is the world number one in his division but over the past seven days has been subject to continued rejection from GB Taekwondo, the national governing body who determine the selection criteria and athletes who will participate for the nation this summer. That is right; the world number one is British and not competing in his home Olympics. A genuine medal prospect instead has to watch the event unfold from his living room on television. An astounding decision you probably are all thinking.
So what misdemeanours have led to his omission? Previous drug abuse? A violent past? Constantly bringing the sport into disrepute? No, none of the above. What appears to have got GB Taekwondo’s noses up is that Cook went and searched for his own training platform rather than sticking to the pathway that the NGB had funded and created. So because he believed he could find a better programme that would allow him to reach his potential sooner and to its highest ability, he has been subsequently punished. It seems incredibly petty by GB Taekwondo and you can understand the anger and resentment Cook and his team have regarding the decision. Now other British taekwondo players who have stayed with the GB set-up have also been successful this season, so it proves the system does work. However, one programme is not going to suit every individual perfectly, and thus, if they wish to try and fund their own means of development whilst still representing their country and not quitting the sport; surely this should be applauded rather than castigated?
The decision clearly does not sit too well with the British Olympic Association as well. They have to verify and agree with every athlete selection for an Olympic Games but can only reject a proposal if it has been made without following the governing body’s selection process. So although they kept going back to GB Taekwondo to reconsider their decision, they never had the power to reject the decision made, and they were certainly not in any position to be able to decide the selection of Cook. Having said this, having never rejected a selection before in history this would have set a precedent that in the future could have potentially been abused by disgruntled athletes who were omitted from the Games. Yet with the World Taekwondo Federation having also got involved, concerned that GB Taekwondo have broken their code of ethics and brought the sport into disrepute, then you can see how unravelling and embarrassing the situation has become.
What must be remembered is that another individual has benefitted from GB Taekwondo’s bizarre decision. Now it is not the fault of Lutalo Muhammad that he has been selected by the NGB, and he should feel incredibly proud of being given the opportunity to represent the country in London. However, he has not decided to omit Cook and so the slagging off and hate mail he has received since the story was exposed is completely unjustified and totally out of order. Let’s be honest, he is probably as shocked as we are, but now he needs to prepare himself ready to compete with the world’s best and show that he was the right man to be selected. He is certainly going to have to raise his game to be a medal contender though, as he is currently ranked 59th in the world. Remember Cook is number one...
To sour the story even further, although perhaps understandably, Cook is now seeking legal advice as a means to try and force his way into selection for the Games. If such action did end up occurring it is only going to ruin relations between the athlete and governing body even more than it already is. There is clearly bad blood between the two parties and it will be interesting if the legal action fails how Cook decides to act and perform for the rest of his career. Having already squabbled about whether talks and offers had been made by GB Taekwondo to fund Cook’s new programme, which were denied by the athlete’s camp, there is clearly hostility which cannot be beneficial to the governing body nor to Aaron Cook himself. The verbal slagging has continued ever since the decision was ratified this week and it just looks awful from an outside view looking into the story. There is too much petulance and unprofessionalism from all parties.
So once again, Team GB is dealing with a difficult and tumultuous scenario ahead of the Games, rather than being able to build the positive vibe that is going to be needed. Without that the crowd are going to find it hard to motivate and support our home athletes because of the back-step we feel we are already under in the lead-up to the Olympics. However, I cannot comprehend why the British number one, a man who has defeated 10 of the top 15 athletes in the sport in his most recent fights has been overlooked, without other political connotations being involved. For that reason, GB Taekwondo should be ashamed of themselves as they are not only hampering the development of Cook, the medal prospects of Team GB, but also their own ability to showcase their sport and gain media recognition and exposure which is guaranteed when a British athlete is successful. The fact other leading organisations have expressed their concerns and many other athletes have demonstrated their support towards Cook makes you think the selection is one huge mistake.
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