I just read that the men's 200 MR was DQd at Worlds. That race could've given Phelps a record 8th gold medal... bummer.
Phelps was very gracious about it. He said, "We came in here as a team, we exit as a team."
Sigh.
PS Did you see the size of his HANDS! I would like to swim just one race with hands his size, and feet the size of Thorpe's. (Yep, I have puny little paws!)
This concerns me a bit. Crocker has had issues with depression before and this has been a pretty bad meet for him. Even if he did not intentionally foil Phelps, I am certain he did not, he will surely be aware that many are thinking he did. I am sure that his family and friends are aware of these things and will be there to support him.
Knowing the nature of these swimmers, he will probably funnel all of this energy into the pool and make himself even greater.
I had the same thought Matt. Crocker seems to be very sensitive, and I read somewhere that Eddie Reese said the same. So I'm guessing he is taking this very hard. Hopefully he can move past it and get himself psyched for Beijing. I predict right now that he will win the 100 fly there.
This concerns me a bit. Crocker has had issues with depression before and this has been a pretty bad meet for him. Even if he did not intentionally foil Phelps, I am certain he did not, he will surely be aware that many are thinking he did. I am sure that his family and friends are aware of these things and will be there to support him.
Knowing the nature of these swimmers, he will probably funnel all of this energy into the pool and make himself even greater.
scyfreestyler;85766
This concerns me a bit.
Even if he did not intentionally foil Phelps, I am certain he did not, he will surely be aware that many are thinking he did.
Anybody who would think that has, as Dave Barry would say, "The IQ of a turnip."
P.S. Just to clarify, Matt: I am aware that you did not think that; you said that you were certain he did not.
The biggest choke? Are you serious? He jumped it by .01 and it's the biggest choke? I could list bigger chokes in just about any sport ...
Let's start with Otyila's 200 fly a few years ago where she actually stopped swimming and held onto the lane line ... all the AR & WR holders that tighten up during trials and fail to make the Olympic team or Olympic finals ... JEEZ ... the biggest choke ever, if you aren't kidding you need a clue!
Give him a brake. It happens. Go look at all the relay DQs for the US at 2001 worlds ...
I also must reiterate the fact that the COACHES put Crocker on the 400 free relay team knowing he was sick. They would NOT have done better than silver no matter what.
I don't know how it compares to Crocker's mistake....but Park's failure to make the final in the 1500 was a pretty bad choke as well.
Newmastersswimmer
No doubt but Park is only 17 so lack of experience was a big factor...
Crocker made a mistake as we all do. He will get over it and continue to swim on world record breaking relays. He also is a competitor, though, and while I have no doubt that he was not intentionally trying to undermine Phelps's gold rush, I also have no doubt that at some level he wanted to produce a better split than Phelps's.
DQing an in the bag world championiship/world record relay in the PRELIMS at the World Championships is a big mistake.
Big choke in Prelims, not for Finals.
I don't know how it compares to Crocker's mistake....but Park's failure to make the final in the 1500 was a pretty bad choke as well.
Newmastersswimmer
