Thorpe Back in the 400?!?!!

I think the Ian Thorpe issue is a little less outragous than the situation that Mark Foster finds himself in following the British Olympic Trials. Rather than repeat details; I suggest going to the Race Club website to take a look at the article that details the travesty of his exclusion from the British Olympic Team. www.theraceclub.net

How is this in the same category as steroid abuse (he fell off the starting block)? Besides, I thought the selection of the athletes was left up to the individual countries. Don't we want the best athletes in each event?

I have to admit that I don't share the outrage or see an ethical issue. As a swim fan, I'd like to see the world's best at the Olympics, and not be deprived of such due to a silly accident. Were I an Olympic contender, I'd like to think that I would prefer to go up against the best, and not earn my award due to the accidental misfortune of another. If the qualifying swimmer can resign and the Australian governing body can, within it's rules, give the slot to Mr. Thorpe, then I think that is the best thing to ensure the best competition. If I were an Australian, I'd like to think I'd want what is best for the team, and this certainly is. I see no taint, but reasonable people can differ. carl

Jeez, you're RIGHT! The rules that say the top two finishers in a race swim that race in the Olympics and if one is unavailable, the third place finisher moves up, ARE SILLY. Let's arbitrarily put whomever we want on the team. Thorpe IS the fastest, so we should just hand him the spot and not even waste the taper at Trials. In fact, give him the gold medal; he's so far ahead anyway...tell Jon Sieben or the '84 US 800FSR that. HE FALSE STARTED; HE IS OUT. I did the same leading off a relay at USMS NATS last May; can I petition and get our 4th place back if I can pursuade DCAC to move down to 5th? The Aussie swimming association are the cheaters, if they do this. It's sad, sends a message that the rules don't matter and winning is the only thing. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Cheat, cheat, cheat! Oh, and Foster IS getting robbed more, btw...

Sorry Craig and Carl. I am not attacking you guys. I simply don't like what is happening in so much of the sports world and I get oddly uptight about it. We (humans) seem to have forgotten the respect we gave our sports when we were kids. Steriods, endorsements, money, shortcuts, ESPN, NCAA cuts; these and so many things have changed our perspective on pro and amateur sports. Maybe I am idealistic, but I miss the simplicity of the early '80s sports world and true amatuerism of the Olympics (when was THAT?!). Pre-NHL, NBA, MLB, pro volleyballers, etc. Emmitt Smith handing the ball to an official after a TD; Float and Gross after the Relay; Moffett trying to swim the *** with a torn groin; Borg, any time McEnroe was losing it on the court; skinny ballplayers in the 70's and 80's. That was all kind of cool to me. Now, I know none of that can come back but things like this Thorpe issue (and trust me, I KNOW the USA isn't above greasing the wheels in our favor, as well) just rub me wrong. We can move on and drop this thread now. My soapbox is broken.

Originally posted by seltzer Sounds like US swimming know how to do the right thing. The right thing, what are you talking about? Australia may not be breaking any rules and, by their own standards, maybe they are doing the right thing. I think the American definition of this elusive "right thing" is what gets us so much unpopular press worldwide. Just relax and let the Australians do what they want. Then, if/when Thorpe wins you have a built in excuses you can whine about (aka ThorpeMax). People get all crazy for a pure sport thing. There are no pure sports anymore. Well, maybe amateur wresting is still pure because if there was any money in that sport, the outfits wouldn't be so awful.

They definitely need to clean things up - especially after the scandal in regards to awarding the Olympics. At least letting the 'professional athletes' compete makes things easier for athletes not having to report everything and they can earn a living and still train.

Originally posted by swimr4life Lefty, you are probably right. I've been thinking...if the United states was in the same boat...say that Michael Phelps DQ'd....what do you think we would do? Makes you go "HMMMM"!... I would HOPE we would follow the rules despite the temptation to bend them so he could compete! It would be just plain sad, but the rules are there for a reason. 1996 Olympic Trials. Our best hope for medal in the 400 IM Kristin Quance is DQ'd for an illegal turn from back to ***. She was not "towards the ***" when pushing off to start the *** leg. She was far ahead of everyone else. Her coach Shubert argued the infraction did not give her a speed advantage, it was a questionable call etc. They appealed the DQ. Lot of buzz against the stroke and turn judge. As a stroke/turn judge it is a hard call to make UNLESS it is very obvious. This guy made the rigth call and it was upheld on appeal and she was out of her best event END OF STORY. Sounds like US swimming know how to do the right thing. PS: Quance did end of qualifying in the 200 im so she did go Atlanta.

This is not a comment on the ethics of the situation: Reading some Aussie newspapers the way that Thorpe gets into the race is because the alternate is chosen from the list of Olympic Team members. This is would be more clear if this happened closer to the event, but think of it this way. If Stevens made the decision at the opening ceremonies you wouldn't fly out the 3rd place finisher and have him compete. I think this has happened in the past, Popov in 1996 dropped out of the 100 back. I don't know if the 3rd place guy swam or what they did, but it may be worth finding out. Hmm, come to think of it I think there was an empty lane so perhaps they didn't replace him.

Originally posted by aquageek The right thing, what are you talking about? Australia may not be breaking any rules and, by their own standards, maybe they are doing the right thing. I think the American definition of this elusive "right thing" is what gets us so much unpopular press worldwide. Just relax and let the Australians do what they want. Then, if/when Thorpe wins you have a built in excuses you can whine about (aka ThorpeMax). People get all crazy for a pure sport thing. There are no pure sports anymore. Well, maybe amateur wresting is still pure because if there was any money in that sport, the outfits wouldn't be so awful. The orginal post "wondered what the US (-reference added for clarity)would do if someone was DQ'd." It's cery clear--let it stand. I guarantee if Phelps was dq'd in our Trials US Swimming wouldn't let him compete in that event nor should they. I also don't see what is "elusive" under these circumstances. Yes, the Australians can do whatever they want under the current rules as long as they don't exceed 2 swimmers per individual event and they both meet the qualifying time. Still the "right thing" is very clear and it is now Thorpe's decision not the Australia Swimming since they have obviously decided otherwise. Should Thorpe swim? I say he should follow the example of Farrell and refuse and send a message that there is a "right way to do things" If he doesn't and swims the 400 free then I hope he breaks the world record. He'll further his tremendous record as a swimming champion but his stature in my eyes will be diminished by his inability to make a very tough decision under difficult circumstances. Let's see what he does.