Olympic Gold Medallist Zac Stubblety-Cook and Girlfriend Ella Ramsay Depart from Leading Coach’s Team Amidst Drama

A dispute with the esteemed swimming coach Mel Marshall has prompted Olympic gold medallist Zac Stubblety-Cook, along with his Australian representative girlfriend Ella Ramsay, to depart from their training base on the Gold Coast.

Stubblety-Cook, who clinched gold in the men’s 200m breaststroke at the Tokyo Olympics, has been reportedly experiencing ongoing tensions with Marshall over different approaches to the management of the Griffith University Swim Club programme, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald.

He now joins a number of elite swimmers who have left Marshall’s squad since she took charge of the Gold Coast programme from the UK in early 2025.

Marshall’s appointment was particularly aimed at mentoring Stubblety-Cook, who made the move from Brisbane at the start of the previous year.

Following their departure, Stubblety-Cook and Ramsay have temporarily allied with the Nunawading Swimming Club in Melbourne, with financial support from the Queensland Academy of Sport.

Swimming Australia has issued a brief statement but did not provide further details regarding the circumstances of their departure.

“Griffith University Swim Club is currently undergoing a realignment as part of the preparations leading up to LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032,” the statement from Swimming Australia mentioned.

“As part of this realignment, Zac Stubblety-Cook and Ella Ramsay have left Swimming Australia’s high-performance hub at Griffith University and are now training under Nunawading’s performance programme.”

Dolphins coach Rohan Taylor commented: “There are various high-performance environments across the country, and we encourage our athletes to pursue the atmosphere that best suits their needs,” he stated.

“Moreover, we back our high-performance environments, such as Griffith University, and their globally renowned head coach Mel Marshall, in creating that conducive environment.”

Stubblety-Cook and Ramsay are set to compete in Australia’s swimming trials from June 8 to 13, which will determine selections for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Pan Pacific Championships in California later this year.