Boxing coach quits Olympics over misconduct claims

Jamie Pittman has reportedly quit his duties as head coach of Boxing Australia’s national team after being found to have committed acts of misconduct towards female athletes.

The former Olympian, who has represented Australia in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and has been a boxing world title challenger, has withdrawn just 100 days out from the opening ceremony in Paris, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

The National Sports Tribunal has called for Pittman to be suspended for six months, backdated to November last year, with his behaviour described by at least one athlete and coach as “disgusting”, “offensive” and inappropriate”.

The 42-year-old left his professional career to take on the head coaching role at Boxing Australia, taking over responsibility of the national under-19 and under-17 athletes in 2021.

Pittman challenged Felix Sturm for the WBA middleweight world title in Dusseldorf, Germany in 2008, but was unsuccessful, losing by technical knockout.

The former professional boxer withdrew from the Games after being issued a breach notice by the Combat Institute of Australia (CombatAus), a sporting body acting on behalf of a number of elite boxers.

The breach notice was heard by the National Sports Tribunal, who have released a 9-page document on their findings.

Jaime Pittman fighting Felix Sturm during the WBA Championship.

Reports the coach feared being terminated from his employment as a result of the findings were also heard by the tribunal.

An Australian Olympic Committee spokesman confirmed Pittman will not be travelling to Paris and has acknowledged the findings of the report.

“The AOC has noted the judgement by the National Sports Tribunal, including the sanctions handed down,” the spokesman said.

“Mr Pittman has voluntarily stood down from the Australian Olympic Committee’s Indigenous Advisory Committee for the immediate future.”

Pittman has been directed by the tribunal to undergo counselling and provide written apologies to his victims, as well as completing approved courses on anti-discrimination, anti-harassments, anti-bullying and anti-sexual misconduct over the next 60 days.