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.
Originally posted by Karen Duggan
Come on. Everybody has to play by the same rules, world's fastest or not.
With the exception of my lone supporter (now I know how Ion feels, except he has no supporters), you all seem to be confusing the act of being DQ'ed with the Australian Swim Federation or Olympic Cmte decision to allow him to complete.
No one has yet to provide any rule that the Australians are breaking by choosing the team of their choice. It's up to them, period.
If Australia is allowed to choose their own team, regardless of what a bunch of USMS posters thinks, what's the big deal? It's their team, their decision. The US has bent the rules just as much so we can get our precious medals.
This harping on sportsmanship and good-consciousness is naive. This is the Olympics and people do what they have to do win. Sorry, that's the way it is, for the US, Lower East Croatia and Australia.
Originally posted by Karen Duggan
Come on. Everybody has to play by the same rules, world's fastest or not.
With the exception of my lone supporter (now I know how Ion feels, except he has no supporters), you all seem to be confusing the act of being DQ'ed with the Australian Swim Federation or Olympic Cmte decision to allow him to complete.
No one has yet to provide any rule that the Australians are breaking by choosing the team of their choice. It's up to them, period.
If Australia is allowed to choose their own team, regardless of what a bunch of USMS posters thinks, what's the big deal? It's their team, their decision. The US has bent the rules just as much so we can get our precious medals.
This harping on sportsmanship and good-consciousness is naive. This is the Olympics and people do what they have to do win. Sorry, that's the way it is, for the US, Lower East Croatia and Australia.
