Zac Stubblety-Cook In Dramatic Split from Coach Mel Marshall, heads to Melbourne To Prepare For The Australian Trials Meet
In a dramatic chain of events, Australia’s Olympic breaststroke gold medallist Zac Stubblety-Cook has left his Gold Coast training base with Griffith University after a reported falling out with Head Coach Mel Marshall.
It has been revealed In an exclusive report published in the Sydney Morning Herald today, that Stubblety-Cook and his girlfriend, fellow Paris Olympian Ella Ramsay have both departed Queensland and will prepare for this year’s Trials Meet (June 8-13 in Sydney) out of Melbourne.
They will train for the Trials with Victoria’s premier club Nunawading under head coach Jol Finck.
Claims that Stubblety-Cook and British coach Marshall, the coach who made Adam Peaty, had been at loggerheads for some time.
“The dispute is centred on clashing philosophies about how elements of the Griffith University Swim Club program should be run,” the Herald report said.
“The broader concern for Swimming Australia is the growing list of elite swimmers to have left Marshall’s squad since her arrival in early 2025.
Zac Stubblety-Cook Photo Courtesy:Delly Carr
“Olympians Kaylee McKeown and Lani Pallister departed last year, and Stubblety-Cook and Ramsay are the latest to walk away in what is a concerning situation for the governing body.”
Stubblety-Cook, who won gold in the men’s 200m breaststroke at the Tokyo Olympics, and Marshall – the decorated British coach who guided Adam Peaty to two gold medals and a silver in individual Olympic breaststroke events – have been at loggerheads for some time.
The dispute is believed to be centred on clashing philosophies about how elements of the Griffith University Swim Club program should be run.
The broader concern for Swimming Australia is the growing list of elite swimmers to have left Marshall’s squad since her arrival in early 2025.
Marshall was recruited from the UK to lead the Gold Coast program, with a specific focus on mentoring Stubblety-Cook, who relocated from Brisbane early last year to train under one of the sport’s most highly regarded coaches.
Lani Pallistrer wins 400m free 2026 Australian Open Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
However, the Herald revealed the situation deteriorated to the point of no return following a meeting between Stubblety-Cook and Marshall after last week’s Australian Open on the Gold Coast.
By Wednesday evening, Stubblety-Cook and Ramsay, an Olympic silver medallist as a relay swimmer at Paris 2024, had relocated to Victoria.
Sources, speakingon the condition of anonymity, told The Herald it was no secret in swimming circles that Stubblety-Cook and Marshall were not on good terms and unable to settle their differences.
Stubblety-Cook had suffered his first domestic defeat in the 200m breaststroke at the hands of former training partner Bailey Lello – at the recent Australian Open Meet.
The pair swimming together at the Chandler program at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre under coach Vince Raleigh, who took a step away from mainstream coaching, post Paris.
Forcing Stubblety-Cook to move to the Griffith program under Marshall after Michael Bohl left with Lello moving to Austrakia’s premier St Peters Western and head coach Dean Boxall, who had already adopted Pallister after she too moved from the Marshall squad.
McKeown had also left, moving home post Paris to swim with the USC Spartans High Performance group under coach Michael Sage.
While Ramsay, also made the move from Chandler to Griffith and Marshall.
Ramsay has one of the busiest programs in swimming and finished second in the 100m breaststroke and 200 IM and third in the 400IM and 200m breaststroke at the Australian Open.
Stubblety-Cook and Ramsay will compete at Australia’s swimming trials from June 8 to 13, which serve as selection for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and Pan Pacific Championships in California later this year.
