Former Swim Ireland performance director Jon Rudd accused of 'toxic' practices
The recently departed Swim Ireland national performance director has been accused of "bullying, a toxic training environment and controlling food culture" by 12 swimmers he coached in a previous role.
Jon Rudd last week left Swim Ireland after eight years to take up a new role as high performance director with Saudi Arabia.
The Englishman oversaw Team Ireland's three-medal haul at the Paris Olympics, but he is now the subject of allegations dating back to his 28 years at Plymouth Leander swimming club.
BBC's Panorama have discovered that a 2012 investigation that heard evidence from 17 witnesses determined that Rudd should be suspended, but Swim England took no action.
In a statement to RTÉ Sport, Swim Ireland says there was "no suggestion or indication of welfare issues" during Rudd's eight-year tenure, but the governing body says it was made aware of the 2012 investigation in September of 2023.
"Despite Swim England indicating that no action was required by Swim Ireland, Swim Ireland conducted its own internal assessment led by our head of safeguarding. Jon fully cooperated with this process," said Swim Ireland in its statement.
"Furthermore, towards the end of 2022, a thorough independent Sport Ireland Culture Review was completed with our Performance Department that involved staff, coaches and included meetings with athletes. This Culture Review raised no concerns."
Rudd was head coach at the prestigious club from 1989 until 2017, when he joined Swim Ireland.
One of the club's most successful swimmers was Lithuanian Rūta Meilutyte, who joined the club in 2010 and two years later became the youngest person to win gold in the 100m breaststroke at the Olympics, aged 15.
However she said Rudd made comments about her weight and praised her for getting "the calories out" when she told him she had been making herself sick after meals.
She said he did seek help for her once he realised she was unhappy with his reaction.
She left the club in 2017, telling Panorama that Rudd's methods "made me for a while and then it broke me".
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