I most admire swimmers that can say "to hell with it - I'm going to race - even if I get my ass kicked." I think that's what Phelps (great example is the 200 free in Athens) and Lochte (every time he races Phelps and Peirsol) do.
This is all well and good, and everyone admires a swim warrior. But we are talking about an old sprinter here. Recovery required, even for Mr. Dodging the 200 Free at Worlds and Nats! I think it was smart to pull out of the 100 free if her goal is to maximize success in the 50s and relays. Isn't that a fairly normal competitive attitude -- preferring to perform superbly in one event as opposed to pretty well in two? Or at least as equally valid an approach as striving to be a swim warrior? Both are admirable for different reasons.
If she was really only going for the 400 free relay, though, she didn't need to swim the 100 free in finals. (I don't think, however, that it was such a shocker that she made the team in that event.) And, as Geek notes, that second win really sealed her "star power." She is not just about swimming anymore. Her feats transcend swimming and even longevity in sports. She is a brand now. She could hawk anything, including granny granola bars at this point. (I do wish she'd stop pointing out how old she is, although I guess her surroundings reinforce that fact continually. Failure to see the electronic timing board is nearsightedness, not age.)
I most admire swimmers that can say "to hell with it - I'm going to race - even if I get my ass kicked." I think that's what Phelps (great example is the 200 free in Athens) and Lochte (every time he races Phelps and Peirsol) do.
This is all well and good, and everyone admires a swim warrior. But we are talking about an old sprinter here. Recovery required, even for Mr. Dodging the 200 Free at Worlds and Nats! I think it was smart to pull out of the 100 free if her goal is to maximize success in the 50s and relays. Isn't that a fairly normal competitive attitude -- preferring to perform superbly in one event as opposed to pretty well in two? Or at least as equally valid an approach as striving to be a swim warrior? Both are admirable for different reasons.
If she was really only going for the 400 free relay, though, she didn't need to swim the 100 free in finals. (I don't think, however, that it was such a shocker that she made the team in that event.) And, as Geek notes, that second win really sealed her "star power." She is not just about swimming anymore. Her feats transcend swimming and even longevity in sports. She is a brand now. She could hawk anything, including granny granola bars at this point. (I do wish she'd stop pointing out how old she is, although I guess her surroundings reinforce that fact continually. Failure to see the electronic timing board is nearsightedness, not age.)
