At the U.S. Trials there was one official in every lane looking at the turns, so now that we're in Athens, how does Kitajima get away with that dolphin kick on his turn? It seemed clear to me from the above water shot, then was confirmed with the underwater. Other breaststrokers care to weigh in?
Parents
Former Member
Folks,
At the risk of being called a blasphemer...
Kitajima swam a 1:00.07 to win the finals.
Hansen set a new Olympic Record in the semis with a 1:00.01.
Both swimmers went substantially slower than their PR's--World Record times.
Brendan is a class act because he recognized that alleged illegal kick or no, he only had to swim a PR, or heck, even the same time he did the day before, to beat Kitajima. Didn't do it, so he offers no excuses, and focuses on the one thing he can control. Class.
As far as the rules are concerned, all this yammering about illegal dolphin kicks makes my poor freestyler and sometimes flyer head hurt. Let me ask one question: if he has done this before at major competitions, if people have squawked about this before loud enough for even the biggest dunce in officiating to know to look out for it, if there is one stroke judge per lane, is this all a big conspiracy, or do the critics merely misunderstand the rules? The officials in your summer rec league, ooh, I'm sure they are more qualified than the folks working the Olympic Games.
Shut up and swim, and leave the grousing about officiating to figure scamming, er... skating and gymnastics. Oh wait a minute, scratch gymnastics. There has been precious little bitching about marks these Games, so I guess swimming must be more subjective than gymnastics. (Let me pull my tongue out of my cheek, there, that's better.)
Obviously not, but we could all try acting like rational adults in stead of out of control soccer parents.
Matt
Folks,
At the risk of being called a blasphemer...
Kitajima swam a 1:00.07 to win the finals.
Hansen set a new Olympic Record in the semis with a 1:00.01.
Both swimmers went substantially slower than their PR's--World Record times.
Brendan is a class act because he recognized that alleged illegal kick or no, he only had to swim a PR, or heck, even the same time he did the day before, to beat Kitajima. Didn't do it, so he offers no excuses, and focuses on the one thing he can control. Class.
As far as the rules are concerned, all this yammering about illegal dolphin kicks makes my poor freestyler and sometimes flyer head hurt. Let me ask one question: if he has done this before at major competitions, if people have squawked about this before loud enough for even the biggest dunce in officiating to know to look out for it, if there is one stroke judge per lane, is this all a big conspiracy, or do the critics merely misunderstand the rules? The officials in your summer rec league, ooh, I'm sure they are more qualified than the folks working the Olympic Games.
Shut up and swim, and leave the grousing about officiating to figure scamming, er... skating and gymnastics. Oh wait a minute, scratch gymnastics. There has been precious little bitching about marks these Games, so I guess swimming must be more subjective than gymnastics. (Let me pull my tongue out of my cheek, there, that's better.)
Obviously not, but we could all try acting like rational adults in stead of out of control soccer parents.
Matt
