False start! Ouch.

I think it was a false start, not some sort of gigantic mistake or conspiracy. I've never seen so much made of an everyday swimming occurence. Let he/she who is without a DQ cast the first pull buoy.

SweetGirl - Maybe I should have said healthy as opposed to thin as thin can carry some bad connotations these days. Yes, I have lost weight and am an avid swimmer but I'm a much fitter person and enjoying swimming a lot more without that extra side of beef I was lugging around.

Gosh, the first time I watched the GREAT Steve Clark (who swam for Yale) blow the doors off a WR sprint when I was a kid, then looked at his huge barrel chest, I wondered how the heck he did that. Thin is not always fastest....same holds for tall. Heck, look at the GREAT Janet Evans's records that still stand years later and she was not that tall. Thank you. Thank you. As I watched Worlds, 95% of the swimmers looked so very very tall. Most were rail thin too. But you are right about Janet Evans; Egersezki, the 200 backstroke WR holder, was tiny too. I agree with tburk. Phelps is the current world and olympic champion. As well as jumping on relays, I've also had plenty of lousy finishes. Just part of swimming. If you have a bad finish on a sprint, you should expect that you might lose. I don't think Phelps gave up his relay spot in finals at Athens because he acknowledged Ian was faster either. That's hilarious. Healthy is a much better choice of words, HWMNBN. Thin is generally good, but anorexic-thin is awful. I try not to use the word thin around my kids. Plenty of good substitutes. Generally, as you say, if you exercise a lot and eat well, you'll be fit and not have a huge side of beef.

Way too much "I think" and "I believe" in this post. There is every reason to believe the finals roster was set. Ian was NOT a better flyer than Phelps in Melbourne. Sorry. Phelps was .08 better. Remember too that Crocker could have done a great split without risking the start because the electronic timing system reports the reaction time or the delay of the relay start. If somehow Crocker had gone sub 50 he could still get credit for it without cutting the start too close. These guys are very experienced international swimmers. They know their job in prelims is simply to get to finals. The coaches probably reminded them anyways. Usher didn't push HIS start (.31 reaction time) too much. Unless Usher screwed up his finish/touch this falls on Crocker. He's a great competitor I have admired a long time but I don't see how you can look at it any other way. 1. 6 PHELPS Michael 85 USA 0.72 23.99 50.77 2. 4 CROCKER Ian 82 USA 0.73 23.56 50.82 0.05 crocker had one of the worst finsh of his professional career so phelps beating crocker was... I don't want to say fluke but its definatly an upset every time phelps wins. Why do you think phelps gave up his spot in athens. Even after ian's terible leg in the freestyle relay the usa still let him on the meadly relay because ian is the best fly relay swimmer in the world and still is.

Does anyone know what Crocker split? I read somewhere that he wants to be the first guy to record a 49. (IE faster than one of the legs in the finals of the 400 free relay in Athens...oh wait, I think that was him too!). EDIT: I agree with whoever said that it is an upset when Phelps beats Crocker in the 100 fly

Hey Karen... Just joined this forum... Is Ryan Duggan your brother? I used to swim with him... JM

I think a few more people need to be sucked into the fit is everything motto unfortunately. Generally if you are fit you are thin, generally. I can't cast the first pull buoy because I've certainly false started. I'm not sure about this other comment though. Depends on how you define "thin," I think. Lots of masters swimmers are fit, but not real thin. Seems like a lot of people here would like to lose at least some weight. I would. So you could be fit from swimming but still stand to lose a few pounds. I do realize you said generally. And, my lurking memory may be off, but aren't you the fellow who Gull said lost a lot of weight in the last year or so despite being a pretty avid masters swimmer for awhile? I agree that more people should be sucked into the fit is everything motto though. And eat less sweets! :)

Hey Warren......give it up!!!!!!:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: I don't think you're convincing many of us around here...... Phelps beat Crocker....On that day Phelps was the World Champ - not Crocker.

Thank you. Thank you. As I watched Worlds, 95% of the swimmers looked so very very tall. Most were rail thin too. But you are right about Janet Evans; Egersezki, the 200 backstroke WR holder, was tiny too. I agree with tburk. Phelps is the current world and olympic champion. As well as jumping on relays, I've also had plenty of lousy finishes. Just part of swimming. If you have a bad finish on a sprint, you should expect that you might lose. I don't think Phelps gave up his relay spot in finals at Athens because he acknowledged Ian was faster either. That's hilarious. Healthy is a much better choice of words, HWMNBN. Thin is generally good, but anorexic-thin is awful. I try not to use the word thin around my kids. Plenty of good substitutes. Generally, as you say, if you exercise a lot and eat well, you'll be fit and not have a huge side of beef. Looks like I better put on a few pounds then b/c I am feeling a bit anorexic these days....right! LOL! Newmastersswimmer

This goes back to the fact that so many people are sucked into the thin is everything motto. I don't know about this. Seems many many more people are fat in America these days. I think a few more people need to be sucked into the fit is everything motto unfortunately. Generally if you are fit you are thin, generally.