Of Speedo, Phelps, Bowman and Schubert

I'll repeat what I said earlier: I think everyone is being way too hard on Phelps. Phelps was beaten by a swimmer that was not even in his league until this week.... And to give Biedermann credit, he has admitted the advantage the suit gives him. He would like get rid of them too I think. I don't blame him for doing everything in his power, legally, to win. But neither do I blame Phelps and his coach for pointing out the obvious inequities. A lot of people here seem to think it a foregone conclusion that if Biedermann and Phelps were to race on equal terms (ie wearing the same suit) that Phelps would smoke him. I don't think that is at all obvious. And to say it was only within the past week that he was in Phelps' league is untrue, as others have pointed out; breaking a Thorpe record in SCM should have put him on anybody's radar. Stop making excuses. My child and many others are taught from summer league on up to shake the hands of the person on either side of him after the race, win or lose. This is basic sportsmanship, and if we profess to admire such behavior than we should chastise anyone who fails to exhibit it...especially someone like Phelps. I'm not saying that Phelps is a terrible person, he isn't. And his every mis-step is intensely scrutinized. He later gave Biedermann credit: "I was beaten by the swimmer, not a suit" or some such. Good for him. I'm sure next time (and there will be a next time at some point, even Phelps is not invincible) Phelps will handle a loss with just a little more grace.

Biedermann had one of the most remarkable performances in swimming history, and just happens to be wearing a suit that will be illegal in four months. And to give Biedermann credit, he has admitted the advantage the suit gives him. He would like get rid of them too I think. I don't blame him for doing everything in his power, legally, to win. But neither do I blame Phelps and his coach for pointing out the obvious inequities. You failed to mention that the suit that Phelps is wearing will be illegal in four months also. Evidently you did not read the background that was provided in the other thread. He broke an Ian Thorpe World Record 8 months ago so I hardly call that out of Phelps league until this week. He has gone 1:40.83 in the 200 SCM Free and besides Thorpe NO ONE has broken 1:42.25 in that course in that distance. Hardly out of Phelps league. Also, check out the obvious inequities in the 200 Free at the 2008 Olympics in which Phelps is wearing a LZR, which accounted for all but 2 World Records in those Olympics and check the suit that Biedermann is wearing. Its not even a full body and he is wearing Adidas jammers because as I understand Germany had to honor there contract with that sponsor and could not get the LZR suits because they were not available. Nothing was said about that and this year the shoe is on the other foot and we are hearing about all the disadvantages the Speedo LZR has and this exact suit was the suit of the future last year with all of the advantages and those swimmers enjoyed those advantages. Now next year, all those suits will be gone and we will be back to square one? Well maybe.

And to say it was only within the past week that he was in Phelps' league is untrue, as others have pointed out; breaking a Thorpe record in SCM should have put him on anybody's radar. There is no credible alibi for a 4 second drop by a 23 year old in the world class ranks. Again, I don't blame Biedermann - I would have done the same thing in his shoes. The goal is to win by any means within the rules. But the Biedermann of this week was not the Biedermann of 11 months ago.

Doesn't that mean that all Phelps medals at Beijing are invalid? Or, at least, should have a star by the listing? ... No - he won those races, he won those medals - maybe based on the current comments about what records, which suit, and when they are "official WR", the records he set in Bejing may be "invalid", but in most Olympics not all the winners set WR. Phelps lost for the first time in 4+ years, he's pissed - he knows he didn't train enough, the suits tech has caught up and surpassed the LZR and he got beat by a guy who wasn't very much on the radar - Biedermann swam a huge race, immense from start to finish - did the suit give him the extra 1.22 sec - maybe, more than likely. If they were to have raced in LZRs it could very well (likely?) have been a different result. Maybe that is the level playing field everyone talks about - everyone gets to wear the same suit at these - be it a LZR, Jaked, plain old lycra - someone make a decision, make the suit makers bid for the rights like the networks bid on the television rights. Or just outlaw the suits, make it final, make the definitions mean something -Fina should stop this silly back and forth idiocy. Phelps is just like everyother athlete who has worked hard and enjoyed great sucess - when they fall or stumble they are generally angry - hopefully at themselves. If you cheered him for this long, I don't see that his acting human and in the moment should really change that.

Phelps is just like everyother athlete who has worked hard and enjoyed great sucess - when they fall or stumble they are generally angry - hopefully at themselves. If you cheered him for this long, I don't see that his acting human and in the moment should really change that. I disagree. There is nothing that says you have to be a boorish dope when you lose, no matter how great you were/are. I think this is simply another in a long line of immature behavior by Phelps. Anyone watch Andre Agassi's last match? That's how you lose with grace.

There is no credible alibi for a 4 second drop by a 23 year old in the world class ranks. Again, I don't blame Biedermann - I would have done the same thing in his shoes. The goal is to win by any means within the rules. I don't understand your choice of words, "credible alibi." Why does he need an alibi? Are you accusing him of cheating or being unethical? Even Phelps didn't do that. Biedermann didn't do anything this year that Phelps didn't do a year prior (except make a pile of money, of course). As Frank Thompson just posted, 8 months ago in SCM he went faster than Phelps ever has. I'll agree with you that Phelps was surprised to lose, but he shouldn't have been. (I seem to remember an interview before the race where Bowman said that if Phelps swam well, he would win. Perhaps they were guilty of believing their own media hype.) This meet is filled with people making incredible drops to set WRs and NRs, and they are mostly not teenagers either. This particular swim seems to defy your belief only because Phelps was the victim.

Word, Geek!

What I want to know is why has Speedo neglected to develop and release a LZR 2.0 or equivalent? They had to know this arms race was coming after the uproar over the LZR's availability leading up to Beijing. With no answer to the B70, X-Glide and Jaked (anyone else notice how close to the phrase "jacked up" that company name is?), their athletes are stuck in the same way the Germans, et al. were stuck in Beijing. Someone took their innovative idea and made it better. Capitalism at its best. Sorry, Speedo, but get your scientists out of hibernation and maybe one day soon, you'll again have the best suits in the pool. I've wondered this same thing. Perhaps Speedo was banking on the X-Glide, Jaked, Hydrofoil being banned? After all, for a few short months they were banned and the LZR was positioned to rule supreme indefinitely ... Biedermann is legit and was having a monster year. It wasn't just the suit that accounted for his time drop since Beijing.

It was poor behavior. Everyone realizes that part of the success of greats like Phelps, Armstrong, Jordan, etc is their ultra-hyper-competitiveness that drives them every day. In their prime, they aren't very accustomed to losing at all, never mind with grace. I don't think Phelps or Bowman ever seriously considered the possibility that Phelps could lose. Everyone has been damning Phelps and he deserves it. But IMO Bowman behaved at least as badly, and in his role as coach and mentor he should be doing a lot better. Phelps is still pretty immature, and it shows; he depends on Bowman, who I believe serves as a surrogate father-figure, to teach him better behavior. Snippy temper tantrums don't do that very well. Here is a story comparing the behavior of another poor loser (LeBron James) to that of the greatest basketball player ever. www.slate.com/.../

I bet someone at Speedo HQ put in an urgent call to their Chinese factory to cut LZR production by 90% after the first day of Worlds. After Phelps got beat yesterday they've probably ceased production entirely.