When Katie Hoff made the Olympics in 2004, she was young, inexperienced, and got overwhelmed. Since then she's dominated swimming in America, done well globally, and in 2008 she has been overwhelmed - again. To me, she just looks the part of the nervous girl, constantly re-adjusting her goggles and plastering them to her face before races, taking deep breaths, etc. You don't see this out of Coughlin, Phelps, Piersol, and the list goes on and on. How is she going to perform at the highest level if she's a nervous wreck before races?
She was the prohibitive favorite in the IM's, and one of few favorites in the 2, 4, and 8 Freestyles. She got 4th, 3rd, 4th, 2nd, and an FTQ, respectively. We should all be so fortunate to be that good, but from a US Swimming standpoint, I think this has to go down as a disappointing performace. The only thing saving her (media-wise) is Phelps. Otherwise she'd have been the spotlight athlete. She was even mentioned as having a chance for 5 golds. She's failed to meet expectations. And it's a common occurrence in US women's swimming since the '88 games. Jenny Thompson comes to mind.
Former Member
Good for you, putting her down. Does it make you feel better about yourself? I'm not down on any of the swimmers, no matter the results.
I forgot that everything written here has to be approved by you, or meet your approval. And you of all people certainly don't need to be giving anyone lectures about putting people down. Talk about the pot and the kettle.
WookieE, I think there was a general expectation of her heading into the Olympics based on what was written and spoken in the media. And she's been a little short of those expectations. Janet Evans herself called out the US women on Yahoo! Sports. And in one article, specifically mentioned Hoff. OK, I'm no Janet Evens, so maybe you'll listen to her.
sports.yahoo.com/.../news;_ylt=AhLw0xXh86wCmdfp6Y1n8hWmaJh4sports.yahoo.com/.../news
Yea, I will definitly give more credit to anything Evans says about Hoff's preformances over what you think. Evans has been there...don't that rodeo. Even though Hoff is swimming a lot more events that Evans did, Evans has the right to call out the team, as a US Olympian.
Still, the media's expecations and Hoff's probably aren't the same. Yea, I bet she wanted to win every event but I bet she isn't disappointed in setting American records and winning medals of any color, since few people actually do get medals.
I forgot that everything written here has to be approved by you, or meet your approval. And you of all people certainly don't need to be giving anyone lectures about putting people down. Talk about the pot and the kettle.
WookieE, I think there was a general expectation of her heading into the Olympics based on what was written and spoken in the media. And she's been a little short of those expectations. Janet Evans herself called out the US women on Yahoo! Sports. And in one article, specifically mentioned Hoff. OK, I'm no Janet Evens, so maybe you'll listen to her.
sports.yahoo.com/.../news;_ylt=AhLw0xXh86wCmdfp6Y1n8hWmaJh4sports.yahoo.com/.../news
Ok, read them. Evans wasn't calling her out. She was stating her thoughts. Not once did she say Hoff "choked" or anything along those lines. She said maybe she has spread herself a bit thin but she did not once call her a disappointment.
I don't think winning all these medals is a disappointment - the problem is SHE APPEARS to think so. Just the look on her face after every finish tells it all.
The program has obviously taken a toll -- maybe she did not realize how tough some of the prelim and semis would be. The 200 IM final was not a good race for her and I have no idea what happened in the 800. She came home in a 1:06 the last 100 - maybe she cramped ???
