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.
Geek, there's nothing to get over. It is done.
This is becoming an Ion-esque discussion that I'm almost done with (after this thread unless I'm directly addressed). Even Kierin Perkins himself said that Thorpe should not have that spot, based on their Trials. I believe his words were that Thorpe "stuffed up", aka messed up. Apparently the same type of situation happened in '96 to Perkins himself but he was reasonable enough to know that he did not rightfully earn the spot as stated in their Trials process.
Yes, Australia conveniently changed their rules, and again, this is nothing to get over, however this dialogue IS something to get over.
Geek, there's nothing to get over. It is done.
This is becoming an Ion-esque discussion that I'm almost done with (after this thread unless I'm directly addressed). Even Kierin Perkins himself said that Thorpe should not have that spot, based on their Trials. I believe his words were that Thorpe "stuffed up", aka messed up. Apparently the same type of situation happened in '96 to Perkins himself but he was reasonable enough to know that he did not rightfully earn the spot as stated in their Trials process.
Yes, Australia conveniently changed their rules, and again, this is nothing to get over, however this dialogue IS something to get over.
