I am going to exhibit my inconsistency here...
I am the first to suspect "unknown" or "elderly" swimmers who suddenly make big drops.
However, the Dutch (women) swimmers have always been good relay swimmers, starting way back in the 1950s.
Having trained with the Dutch team in the 1980s I am very comfortable saying that none of the swimmers then took any performance enhancing drugs - not Verstappen when she was world champion 200m free in 1982, not de Rover or van Staveren when they won gold in 1984, and not van Bentum when she was consistently third behind the 'roided-out East Germans at various international meets.
These results by the Dutch are not out of line with historical performances from a country that has a rich swimming tradition and consistently produces tall, athletic women.
Just my $0.02...
I am going to exhibit my inconsistency here...
I am the first to suspect "unknown" or "elderly" swimmers who suddenly make big drops.
However, the Dutch (women) swimmers have always been good relay swimmers, starting way back in the 1950s.
Having trained with the Dutch team in the 1980s I am very comfortable saying that none of the swimmers then took any performance enhancing drugs - not Verstappen when she was world champion 200m free in 1982, not de Rover or van Staveren when they won gold in 1984, and not van Bentum when she was consistently third behind the 'roided-out East Germans at various international meets.
These results by the Dutch are not out of line with historical performances from a country that has a rich swimming tradition and consistently produces tall, athletic women.
Just my $0.02...
