'Into a partnership with a coach rather than a dictatorship': Aussie star drops bombshell on live TV

Australian swim star Zac Stubblety-Cook says he is on the hunt for a new coach and took a thinly-veiled swipe at his long-time mentor on live television.

The 25-year-old was among the athletes who landed in Sydney at 7am on Wednesday and were welcomed by hundreds of supporters inside the Qantas hangar.

Stubblety-Cook won silver in the men's 200m breaststroke in Paris, and a bronze medal with the mixed 4x100m medley relay team.

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But it appears, despite the relative success in the pool, not all is rosy inside his camp.

Stubblety-Cook was on Nine's Today set at the airport when host Karl Stefanovic asked him about Dolphins teammate Cam McEvoy.

Swim veteran McEvoy stunned the Olympics by winning gold in the 50m freestyle sprint, after ditching traditional training methods and essentially devising his own radical plan which brought the ultimate success.

"I think like as you mature as an athlete, you get more into a partnership with a coach rather than a dictatorship," Stubblety-Cook responded.

"And I think like for me, that's what I'm searching for over the next few months, is like potentially a new coach.

"And understanding how we can work together rather than a one way street.

All 53 of Australia's incredible medal victories at Paris Olympics 2024

All 53 of Australia's incredible medal victories at Paris Olympics 2024

"And I think like seeing Cam do it the full opposite end of the spectrum and, like, backing himself fully is really inspiring and unbelievable."

The comments suggest Stubblety-Cook will no longer be working with Vince Raleigh in Brisbane.

Raleigh was emotional when his pupil won gold in Tokyo three years ago, and Stubblety-Cook was full of praise for his coach.

Raleigh has worked with the Australian swim team since 1993 and coached several medal-winning stars including Emma McKeon, Australia's winningest Olympian.