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?
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In baseball, the rule book is explicit about where the strike zone is. Yet, whether a specific pitch in a specific baseball game is a "strike" or a "ball" is decided by the ump. Each ump has a slightly different size to what he calls as the strike zone. A pitcher, through trial and error searches out the edges of each umps strike zone. Pitches that are consisently called "strikes" are defacto "legal" pitches that the pitcher can (and probably should), with clear conscience, throw during the game.
Similarly, while the swimming rule book is explicit about what is and is not allowed, whether or not a specific motion a swimmer executes in a specific competition is legal or illegal is decided by the officials. If, repeatedly during international competition, under close scrutiny, with common knowledge on the part of the officials that he does this, Kitajima's "pitches" are consistently called as "strikes", then he can (and probably should), with clear conscience, throw them during the game.
After seeing the race do I wish the "strike zone" being called was a bit smaller? Sure. But until it is, I'll take a cue from Hansen and not whine about it.
In baseball, the rule book is explicit about where the strike zone is. Yet, whether a specific pitch in a specific baseball game is a "strike" or a "ball" is decided by the ump. Each ump has a slightly different size to what he calls as the strike zone. A pitcher, through trial and error searches out the edges of each umps strike zone. Pitches that are consisently called "strikes" are defacto "legal" pitches that the pitcher can (and probably should), with clear conscience, throw during the game.
Similarly, while the swimming rule book is explicit about what is and is not allowed, whether or not a specific motion a swimmer executes in a specific competition is legal or illegal is decided by the officials. If, repeatedly during international competition, under close scrutiny, with common knowledge on the part of the officials that he does this, Kitajima's "pitches" are consistently called as "strikes", then he can (and probably should), with clear conscience, throw them during the game.
After seeing the race do I wish the "strike zone" being called was a bit smaller? Sure. But until it is, I'll take a cue from Hansen and not whine about it.
