British Bobsleigh head coach Lee Johnston, who was promoted to the position "just over a fortnight ago," was formally disciplined and "warned as to his future conduct after making derogatory remarks about black drivers" in '13, according to Sean Ingle of the London GUARDIAN. Johnston, a 12-time British champion who went to the Winter Olympics in '98, '02 and '06 before becoming a coach, was accused of telling squad member Toby Olubi, "I knew you would be late because you are black" and, later in the same training session on July 4, 2013, "Black drivers do not make good bobsleigh drivers." The racism allegations are reportedly "among a raft of other complaints about British Bobsleigh over financial mismanagement," including £500,000 ($657,500) on a "mothballed sled, a staff exodus and concerns about athlete welfare over a number of years." Johnston's exchange was reported by another black athlete, Henry Nwume, to former British Bobsleigh & Skeleton Association Chair Andrew Ridgway in an email in March '14, "as well as to a performance manager at UK Sport." Although a "number of people" who have worked alongside Johnston said that they do not believe he is racist, and he "retains the support of some members of the team," they do accept that Johnston makes "inappropriate remarks" and his comments to Olubi were "deeply wrong." Regardless of the BBSA's and UK Sport's stance, the decision to promote Johnston to lead a squad in which the majority of athletes are black or mixed race "will raise questions for both governing bodies." Johnston retains the support of "many of the squad." He was "not seen as a central figure in the longstanding problems in the BBSA" (GUARDIAN, 10/9).
