Some Aging Competitors Call High-Tech Swimsuits Dirty Pool

Please help me with the proper way to reference a person that formerly competed in the Olympics for future posts so I can avoid offending anyone. I do sincerely apologize to anyone that was offended by my thoughtless references to "ex-Olympian". I can't imagine why anyone would offended by it. If they are, they have bigger issues and should be exiled to Mount Olympus.

Yes Tim, I would say the journalists are incorrect when they say "ex- Olympian". I think there is a somewhat negative connotation to the term as though they were no longer Olympians. With the same "ex" thinking since we are not in an Olympic year (except for the winter Games), would that make Michael Phelps an ex-0lympian. I don't think you need to designate the year(s) someone participated in the Games, just that they are an Olympian. George Bush and Bill Clinton are still referred to as President Bush and President Clinton, we know when they served. Are you a Nobel prize winner only in the year you get the prize? Or are you always referred to as a Nobel prize winner. It's not a major deal. When I was corrected, I had never thought of it that way before, but it makes sense to me. Erik Hochstein is an Olympian, what do you say Erik?

Chris is an Olympian and he doesn't seem to mind. And I agree with Chris, if someone really does mind or gets in a snit over it, they have some ego issues ... I routinely hear ex-Presidents referred to as "former President X" on the news. On the suit issue, I think, Chris, you are exaggerating what a headache the suits are. At least from the female perspective, full body suits are all difficult to put on. And the "textile" suits like the Pro are perhaps even more prone to rips. Yeah, the first time you put one on it takes awhile, but not so much after. I think all the FINA flip flopping and overzealous bans have been the real headaches. The cow manure analogy was hilarious.

OK, you could certainly argue that if availability is the problem then why not set better rules to address that. Yeah, perhaps, but why not just set a standard for suit design and materials where we really don't have to worry about these things? I really did intend to leave alone the dead horse. But I think it just moved, so: beat it I shall. There's a joke from the middle ages of a traveler who comes upon a castle that is surrounded by people with levers. They say they are trying to move the walls of the castle. Some animal had left something smelly by the walls, and the king wanted a solution. The sensible traveler, of course, asked: why not move the small and smelly thing, rather than the castle? By the same token, solving the small problem with a huge "solution" of setting new standards for suit design and changing all the swimming businesses from top to bottom - is all out of proportion to what's required to fix the stated and ostensible problem. It's like a bad joke. Unless, of course, people aren't saying what really bugs them about the suits (which is what I think).

If you make the distinction to a former Olympian, I am wondering who would be considered a "current" Olympian ? You could go with the most recent games, but they are just as much over as the games 40 years ago. You take the oath - you are an Olympian .... if you break the oath, you are a :censor:

I'll sign up for calling you that whether you have the degree or not! :D Any expertise I have in the area of Disaster Science flows from countless lessons from my dog, Juno. He could teach class-12 hurricanes a thing or two about destruction.

I assume that holding a Masters degree in Disaster Science would disqualify you from working for FEMA.

Don't sell us short, Bill. We've all said much more with arguably less merit about the tech suits! :bolt: Agreed, but I did use "seldom." Had I been referring to the endless tech suit debate, I would have said "Never has so much been said about so very little."

PS At our Continuing Ed school, it is possible to earn a masters degree in Disaster Science (I am not making this up). How cool would it be to earn that degree? I would do an about-face and DEFINITELY insist that everyone address me as "Chris Stevenson, Master of Disaster." I want a PhD in Disaster Science so I can be "Dr. Disaster.":D

Tim: Olympian Masters ? - U.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Seldom has so much been said about so very little.