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.
tjburk:
You seem to be the last holdout that this is some black and white issue, when it obviously is not.
The only thing that Thorpe is out of was that heat. The rules, which no one has yet to quote (mabye due to the fact they don't exist), allow, apparently for the "next-ranked" swimmer which is HIGHLY subjective.
I have yet to understand why there is such resistance. Either people don't want to see a good race, don't want the USA to miss a medal or just think the US has the right to dictate rules worldwide.
I, personally, want the best to race. If that means the "next-ranked" swimmer goes, then so be it. I'd like to see an argument that the world's best swimmer in the 400 doesn't qualify as the "next-ranked" swimmer.
tjburk:
You seem to be the last holdout that this is some black and white issue, when it obviously is not.
The only thing that Thorpe is out of was that heat. The rules, which no one has yet to quote (mabye due to the fact they don't exist), allow, apparently for the "next-ranked" swimmer which is HIGHLY subjective.
I have yet to understand why there is such resistance. Either people don't want to see a good race, don't want the USA to miss a medal or just think the US has the right to dictate rules worldwide.
I, personally, want the best to race. If that means the "next-ranked" swimmer goes, then so be it. I'd like to see an argument that the world's best swimmer in the 400 doesn't qualify as the "next-ranked" swimmer.
