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!)
Warren, the finals were probably already set anyways.....Phelps beat Crocker - Phelps is in - Crocker is out.
Agreed, and with the kind of meet Phelps was having, how could you possibly not let him swim finals?
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.
I think that ians false start was partly the coaches falt. The coaches should have had the final relay set in stone because I think ian was trying to go a good time to get a spot on the relay becasuse phelps beat him in the 100 fly. Ian should have been on the final regardless of what happened becasue ian is a better 100 flyer than Michael. They were deffinatly going to put Phelps on the relay unless crocker went a great time in the prelims. I believe that either way ian should have been on the relay regardless of what happened because he is better than phelps at starting off of hansen becasue he has done it so many times, that would make up the .05 that phelps beat him by and then some. Last time phelps beat ian in the 100 fly, ian went the fastest fly split ever. But either way, if the people on the relay was set in stone ian or phelps would have taken it easy in the prelim relay and there would not have been a false start.
Warren, the finals were probably already set anyways.....Phelps beat Crocker - Phelps is in - Crocker is out. Crocker swims prelims and still gets a medal.....
If I were coaching that's how I would have done it.
I think that ians false start was partly the coaches falt. The coaches should have had the final relay set in stone because I think ian was trying to go a good time to get a spot on the relay becasuse phelps beat him in the 100 fly. Ian should have been on the final regardless of what happened becasue ian is a better 100 flyer than Michael. They were deffinatly going to put Phelps on the relay unless crocker went a great time in the prelims. I believe that either way ian should have been on the relay regardless of what happened because he is better than phelps at starting off of hansen becasue he has done it so many times, that would make up the .05 that phelps beat him by and then some. Last time phelps beat ian in the 100 fly, ian went the fastest fly split ever. But either way, if the people on the relay was set in stone ian or phelps would have taken it easy in the prelim relay and there would not have been a false start.
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.
