You have to feel wretched for Brisbane's Cate and Bronte Campbell. They have been made the spear carriers for Swimming Australia at the Olympics, only to fall hundredths of a second from first place in their events, and out of the medals.
A tearful Cate Campbell was reduced to pleading to her supporters in Australia, "I love you. This doesn't change how you should feel about me. Please still love me back."
![Sisters in arms: Cate and Bronte Campbell after the 100m freestyle final.](/web/20160818180521im_/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/r/a/r/2/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gqu2sg.png/1471398385155.jpg)
She could have added, "…even if I just cost you your job."
In the cruel world of Australian Olympic finance, millions of dollars of funding for sports depends on whether a handful of individual athletes win gold medals. We now live in a world of money for medals, but what a flawed world it is.
Although there are thousands and thousands of registered swimmers, the funding for Swimming Australia hangs on the results of girls like Cate and Bronte, and boys like Kyle Chalmers and Mack Horton.
While athletes should be responsible for their performances, they should not be responsible for their sport federation's funding. It is not just unfair, it is seriously wrong.
Cate Campbell is 24 years of age. Her sister Bronte is just 22. Why should they have to bear pressure of bringing in the money for the army of coaches, support staff and administrators who work for Swimming Australia?
It should be enough for an athlete to have to deal with the pressure of representing their country, as well as their own expectations and fears. They shouldn't be standing on the starting blocks worrying that if they don't win a gold medal there might not be money to keep people in jobs back home.
And when the absurdity of that pressure gets in the way of athletes performing at their best, they get flailed by an unforgiving media and public.
Of course, the most unforgiving critics are those who have never competed in a world championships, and who simply don't understand what it is like. How else could they be so hard hearted?
We clearly need to change how we fund sports. Instead of tying sports federation funding to gold medals, we should fund the federations on how many of their athletes meet the qualifying standard, and then fund the athletes for how they perform as individuals.
Just getting to the Olympics should be the highlight of an athlete's career. Winning a medal should be a bonus and a joy. It should not be a cross they have to bear.
Yes girls, we will still love you, but loving the system is a completely different matter.
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