EAMON Sullivan breaks 50 LCM FREE WR again in 21.28

Sullivan is a talented swimmer, but coming from him these records feel like they are coming out of nowhere. He was ranked 8th in the world last year with a 22.05. In 2006, he was ranked #5 with a 22.00. In 2005, he was ranked #30 in the world with a 22.59. After dropping half a second from 2005-2006 and remaining about the same speed over the last two years, 72/100ths feels like it's coming out of a magic hat. Same story for Sullivan's girlfriend, Stephanie Rice. In the 200 IM, she went 2:08.92 to take .80 off a drug-tainted record. Rice was ranked 4th in the world last year with a 2:11.81. In 2006, she was ranked 6th with a 2:12.90. In 2005 she was ranked #20 with 2:15.82. In the 400 IM, she went 4:31.46 to break the record by 1.43 seconds. Rice was 6th last year with 4:38.55. In 2006, she was 11th in 4:41.73. In 2005, she was 27th in 4:46.57. It raises a lot of questions - not just about the LZR suit.

Apparently GH Jr. is so flabbergasted he can't even remember Sullivan's actual time. He wrote 22.2 about three times in that post when he actually went 21.2!

Given that there are dozens of elite swimmers that are bigger and presumably stronger than Sullivan and he hasn't had any recent noticable increases in muscle mass is there any reason to believe that he's not legit? It seems to me that given his smaller size he logically has to have superior technique regardless of drugs, and if that's the case, why go on to conjecture about drugs? Is there even a hypothetical drug that would give you an advantage in the 50 free other than by increasing muscle mass?

Compare what he's done recently to, say, Tiger Woods. Tiger has been "at the top of his game" pretty much ever since he turned pro, yet he continues to reinvent himself and just keeps getting better. He's completely dismantled his stroke a couple times. Like a golf swing, I would guess a sprinter's stroke is a very ballistic movement. That is, once you set it in motion it moves too fast to make mid-course corrections. Is there any evidence that maybe Sullivan has been "tinkering" with his stroke? Skip Without a doubt, Sullivan has improved his technique... This is a hybrid of Popov/Nystrand. Look at his body/arm position, and the EDF starting at the chest, not to mention the incredible "cross-over" at the bottom www.youtube.com/watch Does anyone have video of the 21.28?

Is there even a hypothetical drug that would give you an advantage in the 50 free other than by increasing muscle mass? Not my area of expertise, but human growth hormone promotes healing and allows you to recover faster, thus permitting you to train harder.

Story here: www.abc.net.au/.../2202317.htm (He did what his coach told him to do and swam even faster.... Music to the ears of coaches everywhere! :)) I hope we get some underwater and slo-mo videos of these astonishing swimmers. There was a nice 6-second underwater bit in BeeSwim's video of Libby Trickett. Regards, VB

Why would anyone even suggest these things. Let us wait we may find out that no one has abused anything or they all have. So let us all leave these swimmers alone until proof positive. We know for sure a number cyclist are truly druggies and these are proof positive. Baseball players a few have definite proof, still not proven in Clemans case. Etc Etc Etc What may look like drug use may not be drug use.

My knowledge of swimming records is pretty spotty, since I don't do pool races. However, I do know track & field. In looking at the drop in time from Popov to the current record (i.e. this year's drop), the % drop (~1.69%) if applied to the 200 m in track would result in a drop from 19.32 seconds to just under 19 seconds. Likewise the same % drop in the 100, would take the record from 9.74 to about 9.57. Both of these would raise eyebrows - especially the 200 - but given the resistive nature of water, I actually have less trouble believing it than I would the T&F records. I'm afraid that we have to let history decide. -LBJ

It sounds like some swimmers who are getting ready for their Olympic defeat are preparing excuses. They want to acuse their competitors of drug use, everyone else uses drugs so they beat me. One of the guys who says this is one of the guys I have suspected as a user.

I swam my fastest times at age 37. I had rough years from 18 to 26, sickness, broken ankle, you name it, I had it happen. My health and accidents just stopped happening. I became a more complete swimmer. Then at 31 frayed tendons in my shoulders, one year to heal. The swimming better again major change in swimming technique. I then became faster again. My fastest 100m in my life was in a practice race with The presen world recrd holder for 100 fly. I beat him in the 100 fly and a 100 crawl. We do not know why Sullivan is faster now. I know he is healthier, I know he has made swim stroke technique changes.