If I am reading this right, Swiminfo.com is reporting that Craig Stevens is indeed going to back out of the 400 and leave it up to Australia Swimming to "pick another member of the Olympic Team" to swim that race in Athens. If I am ANY other country, swimmer, the 3rd place finisher at the Trials or an organization interested in ethics, then I am raising a stink on this one!!!! Thorpe DQ'd and the Aussies are going to skirt the rule and get him in anyway. They would be relegated to the status of Ben Johnson, Rosie Ruiz, and the 60+% of MLB who are on steriods! This is FREAKIN' UNBELIEVABLE. I have no respect for any of the aforementioned and if this happens, none for Ian Thorpe and the Australian swim federation (or whatever official name they hide behind) are in that seeming, stinking pile.
Parents
Former Member
hero: "a of exceptional quality who wins admiration by noble deeds, esp. deeds of courage." Webster's Dictionary of the English Language, The New Lexicon, Deluxe Encyclopedic Edition at page 454.
So I guess if Ian turns down the opportunity, if it is presented to him, that might qualify as a "noble deed."
But for what it's worth, while I admire the talent and dedication of Thorpe, Phelps, Spitz, van Dyken, et al., I would posit that the "hero" accolade more appropriately be applied to those firefighters and police who ran into the towers on 9/11, the grunts who are in harm's way in Iraq, Afghanistan, and others of their ilk.
Sorry for the soapbox, but for crying out loud, it's just a swim race (a very fast one, I'll concede).
carl
hero: "a of exceptional quality who wins admiration by noble deeds, esp. deeds of courage." Webster's Dictionary of the English Language, The New Lexicon, Deluxe Encyclopedic Edition at page 454.
So I guess if Ian turns down the opportunity, if it is presented to him, that might qualify as a "noble deed."
But for what it's worth, while I admire the talent and dedication of Thorpe, Phelps, Spitz, van Dyken, et al., I would posit that the "hero" accolade more appropriately be applied to those firefighters and police who ran into the towers on 9/11, the grunts who are in harm's way in Iraq, Afghanistan, and others of their ilk.
Sorry for the soapbox, but for crying out loud, it's just a swim race (a very fast one, I'll concede).
carl
