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
I agree with who says that the Olympic Trials are only an instrument to help locally pick Olympic Teams, and therefore the application of certain guidelines (they are not rules, otherwise it would impossible for an athlete to participate to an Olympic Game if he or she were from a non-Olympic trial country. There are many, even with good swimming traditions that do not have strict Olympic Trials) is up an only up to the local Olympic committee. I'm not American but I have no trouble in saying that the USA is probably the only country that has the depth to justify having such strict standards for choosing their athletes. Not for other countries, though. Even Australia. If the UK is more strict that is their decision to take although personally I find it stupid to say the least to leave a medal prospect like Foster home.
Besides, Stevens is already a member of the Aussie Olympic Team since he is qualified for the 1500 free. This plus the fact that he will probably take advantage of the hype around this story (and rightly so) through money, publicity, books or whatever, will anyway make Stevens a pretty happy guy relieving him of a pressure which he would undoubtedly feel if he were to swim the 400 free in place of an icon and star like Thorpe, a guy who is sure to win gold (any other mistakes allowing of course...).
Many people tend to forget that the Olympic Games is the only occasion where our beautiful sport is in the limelight, meaning that only every 4 years everyone wants to watch swimming. My next door neighbor doesn't know anything about Olympic trials and Olympic Spirit and all the concepts that we "athletes" hold on to dearly. But he does know a few names. He has heard of the likes of Ian Thorpe and Michael Phelps. And to deny the world of the spectacle of the 400 free with it's main actor included is probably a lot worse than denying Stevens the 400 when anyhow he probably has a better shot at a medal in the 1500.
The bottom line is: there are no rules in the choice of an olympic team. Like it or not it is an arbitrary process left in the hands of the local Olympic Commitees.
I agree with who says that the Olympic Trials are only an instrument to help locally pick Olympic Teams, and therefore the application of certain guidelines (they are not rules, otherwise it would impossible for an athlete to participate to an Olympic Game if he or she were from a non-Olympic trial country. There are many, even with good swimming traditions that do not have strict Olympic Trials) is up an only up to the local Olympic committee. I'm not American but I have no trouble in saying that the USA is probably the only country that has the depth to justify having such strict standards for choosing their athletes. Not for other countries, though. Even Australia. If the UK is more strict that is their decision to take although personally I find it stupid to say the least to leave a medal prospect like Foster home.
Besides, Stevens is already a member of the Aussie Olympic Team since he is qualified for the 1500 free. This plus the fact that he will probably take advantage of the hype around this story (and rightly so) through money, publicity, books or whatever, will anyway make Stevens a pretty happy guy relieving him of a pressure which he would undoubtedly feel if he were to swim the 400 free in place of an icon and star like Thorpe, a guy who is sure to win gold (any other mistakes allowing of course...).
Many people tend to forget that the Olympic Games is the only occasion where our beautiful sport is in the limelight, meaning that only every 4 years everyone wants to watch swimming. My next door neighbor doesn't know anything about Olympic trials and Olympic Spirit and all the concepts that we "athletes" hold on to dearly. But he does know a few names. He has heard of the likes of Ian Thorpe and Michael Phelps. And to deny the world of the spectacle of the 400 free with it's main actor included is probably a lot worse than denying Stevens the 400 when anyhow he probably has a better shot at a medal in the 1500.
The bottom line is: there are no rules in the choice of an olympic team. Like it or not it is an arbitrary process left in the hands of the local Olympic Commitees.
