Out Snowboarder's Dad Cries 'Bias' At Aussie Olympic Committee

The father of Australian snowboarder Belle Brockhoff says he sold his tickets to the Winter Olympics in disgust due to what he says is a lack of respect for his gay daughter.

Bruce Brockhoff sent an open letter to the Australian Olympic Committee with multiple complaints, especially that his daughter did not have access to the same training facilities as other athletes, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. He also said there were funding discrepancies that led to his discontent. He later apologized for the timing of his letter, as it preceded the men's snowboard cross event, and he mentioned the Australian athletes competing in that event in the letter.  

Belle Brockhoff finished eighth in the women's snowboard cross event Sunday. She told reporters she had been receiving hateful tweets, but she was taking them in stride.

“I’ve had hate tweets. But it’s good getting different sides of the story, and trying to open your eyes a lot more before you say anything,” she said. “I’ve been called an aggressive something dyke or something, but I thought it was pretty funny. This one guy said, ‘I’m right behind Putin, you should break a leg and get locked in the slammer.’ … The hate is funny.”