U.S. Coach Is Suspicious Of China's Swim Program

I read the article at the link, and if it is an accurate summary of the coach's remarks, I'm not impressed. Don't you think it's a bit premature to start hollerin' about Chinese wunderkind who anyone has yet to see? Let's follow the chain of speculation: - the Chinese swimmers weren't as strong as suspected - they did not send their best or most promising athletes - because they are on steriod or drug regimes that would be detected right now - they will continue on these regimes for the next three years, undetected, and we will hear zippo about what they are really doing - they will clean up their act before the 08 Olympics in Beijing and be able to pass all drug tests - still benefiting from the illegal drug regimes, they will then kick everyone's butt in 2008. Am I the only one to see several yawning chasms in that chain of logic requiring Olympic leaps of faith? Gee the Chinese kinda sucked compared to what we expected of them. Maybe they didn't send all their best swimmers. Golly Sgt Carter! Neither did we or the Aussies! Thorpe, not there. Beard, doing a modeling gig. Hoogie, recovering from surgery. Phelps, not swimming all his strongest events. If I recall correctly, the Chinese divers weren't their usual dominant selves either. Maybe it's because that just like we did, some of their best swimmers did not see this meet as a tip top priority? I'm sure Coach Salo is a superb coach, and I do mean to make light of his professional qualifications at all. But please spare us all the conspiracy theory. It does not help in the real struggle to get effective measures combating illegal doping when the most prominent coaches in the U.S. make wild, unsubstantiated accusations. Matt

I read the article at the link, and if it is an accurate summary of the coach's remarks, I'm not impressed. Don't you think it's a bit premature to start hollerin' about Chinese wunderkind who anyone has yet to see? Let's follow the chain of speculation: - the Chinese swimmers weren't as strong as suspected - they did not send their best or most promising athletes - because they are on steriod or drug regimes that would be detected right now - they will continue on these regimes for the next three years, undetected, and we will hear zippo about what they are really doing - they will clean up their act before the 08 Olympics in Beijing and be able to pass all drug tests - still benefiting from the illegal drug regimes, they will then kick everyone's butt in 2008. Am I the only one to see several yawning chasms in that chain of logic requiring Olympic leaps of faith? Gee the Chinese kinda sucked compared to what we expected of them. Maybe they didn't send all their best swimmers. Golly Sgt Carter! Neither did we or the Aussies! Thorpe, not there. Beard, doing a modeling gig. Hoogie, recovering from surgery. Phelps, not swimming all his strongest events. If I recall correctly, the Chinese divers weren't their usual dominant selves either. Maybe it's because that just like we did, some of their best swimmers did not see this meet as a tip top priority? I'm sure Coach Salo is a superb coach, and I do mean to make light of his professional qualifications at all. But please spare us all the conspiracy theory. It does not help in the real struggle to get effective measures combating illegal doping when the most prominent coaches in the U.S. make wild, unsubstantiated accusations. Matt