It certainly was a disgrace and it was unnecessary. It's less akin to the Jamaican bobsled team ... which though far down the standings was far from this. Eric the Eel was more comparable to Eddie the Eagle at Calgary in 1988. Another side show.
I get more joy watching 10 real amateurs giving it their all against each other than the crop of pseudo-professionals with every trick, gimmick and article of technology at their disposal to win medals and inflate their egos further.
I'd can the whole commercial farce, which are the Olympics, and just have 2 or 3 entries from each country do the Decathlon...and bring back proper wrestling too!
Leave Eddie the Eagle out of it. He did his best, and there was no official backing for him. He had to raise his own finances with a record to get there. There are characters at every games--they make it more fun to watch as they usually truly doing it for the love of the game/event.
Like Matt said, it didn't hurt anyone, and if that was his best effort, good for him--he got a PB at the Olympic gaes!
KeithM - I think you are the only disgrace here. Check out the articles about how Eric did following the Sydney Olympics. He supposedly broke 57s for the 100m FR, detailed in this article.
www.smh.com.au/.../1091557999380.html
Even if he's the still the only man from Ecuatorial Guinea to swim, part of a goal of the progam was accomplished. He took to it, and improved vastly, time will tell whether it sparks interest for swimming in that nation.
I daresay 57s would be a tall order for a lot of masters swimmers, would it not? I think you are looking at it through the eyes of a typical American elitist swimmer, who has no time for the folks in heat 1, no time for the person trying something new, no time for the feel-good story. You're so wrapped up in times and standards and your own self-importance that you miss what it's all about. Get over yourself.
There are plenty of USMS swimmers who can do a 57, there is nothing especially unique about that time.
Sure, at LC Nats, you will encounter USMS swimmers who can go a 57 in the 100m FR. A small sampling of the USMS swimmers out there. Very small.
As far as him being "just there to be laughed at and we all got a good laugh" it depends on the person watching I guess. I didn't laugh myself, so don't include me in "we". Was he slower than everyone? Yes. Could they have picked a better venue to introduce their nation to swimming? Probably. But for the 3 minutes it took to run heat 1, why all the fuss?
I agree, no big fuss. My point was that USMS is not the Olympics and a 57 really isn't anything spectacular and certainly not Olympic calibre. A 57 is a AAA time for 17-18 boys.
Can you go a 57?
No, I cannot currently do a 57 but if I can get citizenship in East Bungaloria for the next Olympics, you will see me hit a 57. I do swim with three guys who can easily do 57s, late 30s/early 40s, which annoys me daily.
Ohhhhhh....a sell out huh????? LOL JK
I agree, no big fuss. My point was that USMS is not the Olympics and a 57 really isn't anything spectacular and certainly not Olympic calibre. A 57 is a AAA time for 17-18 boys.
hey i've got an idea!
lets have the olympics be about the best of the best. get rid of all that flag waving b.s. who cares what country someone was born in/resides in anyway. and there is no reason "non competitive" countries should bore us with their presence
it would certainly shorten up the painful opening ceremonies.
Eric the Eeel went on to cut his time in half in time for the 2004 Olympics (but didn't make it because of a Visa bungle.)
Would he have gotten the coaching, equipment, access to training facilities, and put in the effort to cut his time in half if he hadn't competed the first time in 2000? Can't say for sure, but probably not.
A disgrace? No.
A triumph for a man and a nation? Yes.
This years games will most likely have a deju vu of that 100 meter free.
news.xinhuanet.com/.../content_8908034.htm
"We feel like we've snuck in. We keep saying 'we're here, we're here'. It's just a privilege to be part of something like this. We don't even have an indoor pool, it's all outdoors," Botswana's coach Alison Lagrange said.
"This is the first time Botswana has ever competed in the swimming (at the Olympic Games). We've been given a wild card and so we're swimming the 50 meter freestyle. In Botswana, swimming is very new. To get a personal best for them, that's what it's about. This is huge for us," he said.
Isn't this the only thing that is important? Doing your best? I repeatedly tell my daughter that the only requirements are a) have fun, b) do your best and c) listen to your coaches. You can not control how fast the other swimmers are, you can only control what happens in YOUR lane.
Good advice to be giving the kids!!!!!
