At FINA Worlds a lot is happening. So far the Americans are not doing great and Katie Lydecky is sick. The backstroke wedges have been malfunctioning. The big controversy is over Sun Yang who probably shouldn't have been allowed to swim and has been shunned by an Australian swimmer and a British swimmer. Evidently last September he was supposed to give blood and urine samples for doping analysis. Blood was drawn and then he begin questioning the authority of the people obtaining the samples, had one removed, refused to give a urine sample and had someone break the blood sample. FINA gave him rebukes, which seems an underwhelming response. WADA will have a hearing, in September, after Worlds. What do you think?
What I think is that it just continues to show how toothless the international doping agencies are, and how little international governing bodies for sports are willing to back them up. Also money talks, and I think FINA balked at the idea of suspending a Chinese swimmer from an international meet being held ostensibly in his back yard. I am not breaking out a tin foil hat or anything. Wouldn't surprise me at all if FINA decides to suspend him AFTER Worlds. But what do I care? FINA is as bad as FIFA. I will still watch my swimming like I watch my soccer. I respect the athletes, but I won't ever respect the old man bureaucrats who are supposedly in charge.
It's like the NCAA. They all forget that without their organizations, we (the community) would still have the sport. Without the athletes, FINA, the NCAA, FIFA, etc. are nothing.
My two cents.
And apparently now FINA has decided to send some sort of censuring letters to the Aussie who wouldn't stand on the podium. I personally think too many people automatically assume the cold war mentality that we are always clean, and Russians and CHinese always cheat. But I don't know HOW any decent sanctioning body can let a guy compete when he deliberately destroys his blood sample. And now we are telling his competitors that they can't speak up about it?
Yeah I also want to add about the whole podium thing: I see this way: If you earned a spot on the podium, it's yours to do with as you wish, PROVIDED you don't go out of your way to offend the other people on the podium (they earned the right to be there as well). I think it would have been a better protest to not show up at all to the podium. Would have sent the same statement. The theatrics sort of bordered on offending the other people who earned their spot there.
Organizations like FINA (and the NCAA) are supposed to apply rules impartially and without regard for politics.
NCAA makes FINA look like the Boy Scouts. I can't believe the number of universities with USA affiliated swim teams, nowadays. And to think they claim they are separate when the university's head coach is also the president of the age group team? Or that every e-mail address provided for inquires is a .edu address? It is a darn shame that this kind of crap has to encroach on kids' activities.
But I don't know HOW any decent sanctioning body can let a guy compete when he deliberately destroys his blood sample.
This is really the crux of the matter, to me. That's like refusing a field sobriety test, blood draw or urine sample when suspected of driving under the influence of a controlled substance. I don't blame the protesting athletes whatsoever. If FINA had done a better job to begin with they wouldn't be writing these letters to protesting athletes right now.
Yes, a lot is definitely happening outside and around the pool at Worlds. It's disheartening. Organizations like FINA (and the NCAA) are supposed to apply rules impartially and without regard for politics.
If anyone read that last sentence without whooping with laughter I'd be surprised. :)
The way it's supposed to happen isn't the way it's been happening especially with FINA of late and anything regarding doping. I'm not sure how this would change yet it still has to change.
