Kosuke Kitajima

OMG! "Didn't get Dq'd therefor wasn't cheating?!?!?!?" No wonder society is in the shape it's in. If you shoplift and don't get caught, it is still stealing; if you kill and don't get caught, it is still murder; and if my child cribs on a test and doesn't get caught, it is STILL CHEATING! WARNING WARNING WARNING -- SOAPBOX ALERT Just because you are not caught does not mean you didn't do wrong... I spent most of my summer preaching "integrity" to my kids--that is, doing the right thing whether anyone is watching or not, this is my mantra for swim practice. And now I read several posts from swimmers who feel that not getting caught equals legal -- BS! He should have been DQ'd, he wasn't. Poor officiating, perhaps--most of us had the benefit of the top view (and the kick was obvious at the start) and the underwater--but that happens in swimming. If the blatantness of the whole thing makes the officials stand up and take notice, more power! We can't change the result, we can change our attitude. I swam behind someone at last year's LC nationals (yup, that slow...) and the funny thing about Rutger's pool is that it is absolutely clear and when you're a 200 *** (slowly), sometimes you get distracted and start watching the other swimmers in your heat. The swimmer next to me was flutter kicking (2-beat) right at the end of the *** kick. This was not the "hold your feet together at the end of the kick because the motion of the water will make them look like you're flutter kicking" type of kick, but a clear flutter. The officials weren't paying any attention, I was never in contention to even place in the event, and the swimmer was not caught (can't remember if she placed)--point? I'm in the above 40 group, none of us were "new" swimmers, swimming against the rules is a combination of a "learned thing" (often the little dolphin kick is taught (with caveats) to fast swimmers who are more likely to get away with it, and poor instruction/observation. As a coach, everytime I let a swimmer who does a little dolphin off the turn, who likes to splash a turn so the lack of a 2-hand is not obvious slide, I am saying that it is OK to do as long as you don't get caught. I see coaches on deck take DQ slips and tear them up (often in front of the official) -- our team uses them as learning experiences. Learn to swim fast, correctly, legally and you won't have a bunch of people talking about how you cheated. But like I said--integrity counts in my world, how 'bout yours? no, not perfect, stopped even trying to be, but like to think about messages I pass along to others by my actions, and how I might be remember when I leave ("he was a really good breaststroker, remember the '04 olympics when he did that dolphin kick in the 100 Br but didn't get caught?" -- not what I'm looking for, you either, probably) Down off the soapbox -- isn't it awesome the women's 800 free relay did so well??

OMG! "Didn't get Dq'd therefor wasn't cheating?!?!?!?" No wonder society is in the shape it's in. If you shoplift and don't get caught, it is still stealing; if you kill and don't get caught, it is still murder; and if my child cribs on a test and doesn't get caught, it is STILL CHEATING! WARNING WARNING WARNING -- SOAPBOX ALERT Just because you are not caught does not mean you didn't do wrong... I spent most of my summer preaching "integrity" to my kids--that is, doing the right thing whether anyone is watching or not, this is my mantra for swim practice. And now I read several posts from swimmers who feel that not getting caught equals legal -- BS! He should have been DQ'd, he wasn't. Poor officiating, perhaps--most of us had the benefit of the top view (and the kick was obvious at the start) and the underwater--but that happens in swimming. If the blatantness of the whole thing makes the officials stand up and take notice, more power! We can't change the result, we can change our attitude. I swam behind someone at last year's LC nationals (yup, that slow...) and the funny thing about Rutger's pool is that it is absolutely clear and when you're a 200 *** (slowly), sometimes you get distracted and start watching the other swimmers in your heat. The swimmer next to me was flutter kicking (2-beat) right at the end of the *** kick. This was not the "hold your feet together at the end of the kick because the motion of the water will make them look like you're flutter kicking" type of kick, but a clear flutter. The officials weren't paying any attention, I was never in contention to even place in the event, and the swimmer was not caught (can't remember if she placed)--point? I'm in the above 40 group, none of us were "new" swimmers, swimming against the rules is a combination of a "learned thing" (often the little dolphin kick is taught (with caveats) to fast swimmers who are more likely to get away with it, and poor instruction/observation. As a coach, everytime I let a swimmer who does a little dolphin off the turn, who likes to splash a turn so the lack of a 2-hand is not obvious slide, I am saying that it is OK to do as long as you don't get caught. I see coaches on deck take DQ slips and tear them up (often in front of the official) -- our team uses them as learning experiences. Learn to swim fast, correctly, legally and you won't have a bunch of people talking about how you cheated. But like I said--integrity counts in my world, how 'bout yours? no, not perfect, stopped even trying to be, but like to think about messages I pass along to others by my actions, and how I might be remember when I leave ("he was a really good breaststroker, remember the '04 olympics when he did that dolphin kick in the 100 Br but didn't get caught?" -- not what I'm looking for, you either, probably) Down off the soapbox -- isn't it awesome the women's 800 free relay did so well??