Word. No class.
Biedermann swam in a legal suit, swam perhaps the race of his life, and gave Phelps a tune-up.
Moral? Don't show up at WCs not ready to swim your best race (or even your best time) and then sulk when you get beaten.
Here endeth the lesson.:bolt:
I disagree that Phelps has "no class." He just suffered a stunning defeat from a competitor who dropped four seconds in one year. Going from 1:46.00 (Olympics - 5th place) to the fastest the world has ever known by a full second (1:42.0) is...unbelievable. Biedermann is not a 17 year old who is still growing. He is a grown man at 23. 4% improvements (Biedermann's rough percentage improvement) are not in the cards for most 23 year old men.
Furthermore, the nature of this defeat forces Phelps to completely re-evaluate every aspect of his race, and subsequently his training. Biedermann had an unbelievable final lap (25.7 to Phelps' 26.5), normally the strongest point of Phelps' race. If Phelps cannot depend on his final lap to catch and outlast his rivals, he can only hope to get so far ahead that Biedermann cannot catch him. Except...Biedermann beat Phelps on the opening 50 meters too, and then beat him quite badly in the final 50 meters. Bidermann's defeat of Phelps was total, and Phelps really has no place to go, strategically, to win. He just has to somehow pray he is capable of a 1:41, hope Bidermann doesn't improve significantly, or, more likely, hope that Biedermann's race was a product almost solely of the suit, which Biedermann will not be allowed to wear in 2010.
The knowledge of a loss that is probably attributable to a suit that Phelps was not wearing is a bitter defeat indeed. Yes, it would have been nice to see Phelps be more congratulatory after the race, but he is human like everyone else.
Here's an interesting quote from M. Phelps in Craig Lord's column.
"Given all that has happened in Phelps's life and the amazing time on the board a year after Beijing, despite the deficit to the champion ahead of him, the American said: "Deep down inside I can’t be disappointed and mad, I just can’t. Paul swam a great race, and this result shows that to swim long course you have to be in shape. I can’t dream it. I wish I could, but I have to get back into physical shape." "
When I was a boy, growing up in Baltimore, I wanted to be like Michael Gross, the German butterflyer. Just because an American wasn't the star didn't discourage me from wanting to swim.
I read today that Michael Gross is really against the tech suits.
That just makes no sense -- what is the bigger difference ?
No Tech suit vs. LZR
or
LZR vs Arena/Jaked
So last year the LZR was just fine, and now the suits are evil :badday: ????
How come he now wears a full body LZR in the 100 Fly ?
I support the Tech suits as long as my company has the best suit on the market ???
"Bob Bowman, coach to Michael Phelps, has instructed his charge not to race again in international waters - after Rome 2009 - until the new FINA suit rules kick in in 2009."
In other words LZR's may not have the same time bandit ability as Jakeds and X-Glides.
And he's stuck on the sidelines with an inferior suit?
"Bob Bowman, coach to Michael Phelps, has instructed his charge not to race again in international waters - after Rome 2009 - until the new FINA suit rules kick in in 2009."
In other words LZR's may not have the same time bandit ability as Jakeds and X-Glides.
And he's stuck on the sidelines with an inferior suit?
I wonder how many, if any, other elite level swimmers will follow suit. :)
No, people will say that it is because of the bong hit back in the November and his six month party tour throughout America which he more than deserved. Mainly, it will be the bong hit. But, I think that Michael will step up and most likely win the 200 free.
So last year the LZR was just fine, and now the suits are evil :badday: ????
Based on his and Bowmans reaction to this race this seems to be their thinking.
What I apreciate about this swim is that Phelps has some of the best training in the world available to him, but chose to take time off and from the looks of it if it was too much.
Biedermann on the other hand must have dedicated a good 12 month of intense training,and it has paid off.
The suit is secondary-if Phelps thinks he only lost because of his inferior suit than he owes an explanation to all the swimmers he beat last year at the Olympics-because of the LZR.
Mike-you can not have it both ways!Suck it up and be a big boy about it.....
I have no idea what Biedermann was wearing in November last year - but he did take down Thorpe's 200 Free short course meters record and went 3:34 in the 400 -- which is about 3:41 in long course.
