Aussies aware of distractions of social media

AFP FILE PHOTO

LONDON—Australia’s chef de mission Nick Green says there’s “no doubt” social media can be a distraction to Olympic athletes but his team still generally encourages the use of Twitter and Facebook — within certain boundaries.

London was labeled “the social media games” but head organizer and former Olympic champion Sebastian Coe has said tweeting can distract athletes and cause them to underperform.

Coe told Britain’s Press Association he had seen “a direct correlation” between number of tweets and disappointing performances from competitors.

On Friday, Australian shooter Alethea Sedgman said social media was useful to keep in contact with friends and family, but she didn’t use Twitter and “sport-wise, it’s better to focus without Facebook.”