Kitajima

..they need to re-write the rule..... They probably will anyway, since it seems like the "rule" is that whatever Kitajima does is OK :)

What exactly does "interpretation" mean in the context of the fina rule book anyway? It seems like an odd way to clarify or fix the rule, shouldn't they just change the wording of the rule itself? Maybe that process is much harder to do than tack on an "interpretation". Just looking at the base rule it seems what he does is legal. Of course with the "interpretation" what he does is not. Although if I was just reading the base rule I wouldn't interpret it to mean the kick must be during the pull. I wonder two things though. How exactly the timing of his dolphin/pull looks to the official standing next to his block at the start and how much advantage putting the dolphin there provides. I can't imagine that it's as clear that his kick is prior to his pull from above and behind him as it is to us looking at the underwater footage. Also it seems to me that putting a kick in front of and completely detached from the pull is kind of an awkward place to put it. But I'm still trying to get used to putting a kick into my pulldown at all so what do I know. He's still an insanely fast breaststroker. You take away his dolphin kick altogether and he's still going to be right up there at the front.

He did the same kick when he set the 200 breaststroke world record earlier this year. You can see it clearly on youtube: www.youtube.com/watch Everybody who should be paying attention must know this, and I suppose the rule is being interpreted so that it is legal. I guess you can say that the kick occurs at the commencement of the pull, if you have to justify it in your mind. Once a butterfly kick is legal, doing it before the pulldown should generate the most speed/power and so it only makes sense to do it there. I think this to be the case because I think if you're already doing the pulldown, the kick will just be incremental. If you do the kick first, you get the full benefit. I'm all for it. Since seeing that 200 breaststroke swim I linked to above, I've been working on doing my butterfly kick first and, while a little awkward, I do think it's faster when I do it "right".

Looking at it carefully I can't say for sure that he hasn't started a little outsweep before the dolphin.If so it would be within the letter of the interpretation.It is certainly pushing the envelope.If I can't be sure with an underwater view,I doubt a stroke judge can be,and they certainly would want to be 100% certain before a DQ.Also his feet are insanely fast,when I first saw the WR race I thought he wasn't recovering his feet very far back.Lookiing at it in stop action I could see he was,they just start moving so fast it is hard to tell.

The whining commences again in earnest. Geez, move on, get over it. You may not like him but he's awesome.

The whining commences again in earnest. Geez, move on, get over it. You may not like him but he's awesome. I'm putting my money on Oen. He has looked great, but Kitajima could certainly get in there. Geek, you must admit it's sort of funny they basically changed the rule because of Kitajima, yet he's still managed to find a way to cheat.

I'm putting my money on Oen. He has looked great, but Kitajima could certainly get in there. Geek, you must admit it's sort of funny they basically changed the rule because of Kitajima, yet he's still managed to find a way to cheat. Maybe the wise sages of the USMS forum should be the judges, since we know so much more than the Olympic judges. Stop sniffling, stop whining, move on.

Generally, you watch each swimmer's entire body and look for the arms to reach the widest part of the stroke before the swimmer performs any kick--be it a dolphin-breaststroke combo, or just a breaststroke kick. Just starting to move the arms apart does not qualify as the beginning of an arm pull; the hands have to turn inward and start pulling water in order for the arm pull to have commenced. No kick may take place until an arm pull has begun due to the cyclical nature of the breaststroke. Yes, the motion of the hands towards the hips does consistute the start of the arm pull. And we're taught to watch the feet then check the hands not to watch the middle of the swimmer. Also, there is no requirement that the hands must be turned inward.

I've read some time ago that FINA was set to use at Beijing underwater cameras to support the call of officials, after the katajima/Hansen affair in Athens. Someone have any info about this one ? It's time to make the underwater camera all under the pools a requisite at every Olympics and WC pool, with officials watching all the time every swimmers to uncover the cheaters. I want never to see again another cheater win a gold. That is an interesting idea but is logistically unsupportable. That would require 16 cameras, one for each end for each lane. Quality underwater cameras are still expensive.

i think its pathetic that so many people can't appreciate someone's preformance because they are watching the games through their red,white and blue glasses. Way to attack the person not the argument. Kitajima CLEARLY kicked BEFORE his hands started to pull at the start AND the turn. FINA rules are pretty clear that that is not a legal breaststroke. I actually rewinded the race to verify what I saw. And I did see it off the start, my wife asked me what I yelled about. Just like it was CLEAR that Kitajima dolphin kicked in 2004. But hey, it appears to me from your comments that you favor either a) cheaters or b) the elimination of all rules. Each to his own.