The controversial high tech swimming suits have been in the sporting news since the Beijing Olympic Games, and have undoubtedly aided swimmers to achived 108 world records since the Speedo LZR Racer was introduced in February 2008. Athletes have always looked for any advantage they can get over their competition, usually within the rules. The current rules enable athletes to wear these suits, which basically make them more streamlined, reducing resistance in the water. Although it is within the rules to wear these suits, is it really any different to doping, which also artifically assisting the performance of athletes?
If not all athletes can afford to have a suit, those that can’t are disadvantaged. But so are those athletes that cannot afford to have their own coach or access to quality pool facilities or gym training equipmemt. By making maoney one of the prerequesties for success in swimming, it beomces an elite sport that is only available for the elite, and I am sure that world swimming body would not be happy with that. The suits are currently banned, at least in Australia, for all junior competition. FINA is currently meeting to decide that to do about it, and le’t’s hope that they ban it completely. When athletes compete against each other, we want to know who is the best swimmer, not who can afford to be.
UPDATE:
FINA decided on these regulations to be in place from the World Championships in 2009: (1) Suit no more than 1 mm thick (2) suits not to extend past the shoulders or ankles (3) no tailored suits (4) no more than one suit at a time
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The swimmer Michael Phelps may have won the most number of Olympic gold medals ever at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, but does that qualify him to be called the greatest ever Olympian? Being the world’s major sporting event, the Olympics has had its share of champions and success stories. It is always difficult to compare athletes of different sports yet alone different eras. Other notable Olympic Champions which would give him a run for his money in the best ever category include Carl Lewis (U.S., track and field), Paavo Nurmi (Finland, track and field), Larisa Latynina (Soviet Union, gymnastics), Birgit Fischer-Schmidt (Germany, kayak), and Steven Redgrave (United Kingdom, rowing). Probably others too. Comparing Phelps to Mark Spitz is the easiest as it is in the same sport, and Phelps wins that comparison. The flaw in this argument is using the number of gold medals as the beachmark, as swimming has more medals on offer than most other sports, consequently it is relatively easier to pick up a bag of medals. Phelps may well be the greatest ever, but I think it is too close to call. Let just wait until he finishes his career. If he does the same again in London 2012, then there may be no question about him being the greatest ever.
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Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe is arguably one of the greatest swimmers the world has ever seen. In November last year he announced his retirement from swimming after 10 years on the Australian team, citing that he has lost the desire. Today the news is that just prior to his announcement he may have tested positive for testosterone, and this has made people think that it may be related. French newspaper L’Equipe has reported that he showed abnormally high readings for testosterone and luteinizing hormone in 2006, and international swimming body FINA has appealed for a fresh investigation into that test. This could be a big reality check for swimming fans who think that the sport is clean. Everyone is human, and even “squeaky clean†Ian Thorpe could possibly succumb to the pressures to perform. We are yet to hear all the details, but hopefully such reports will keep both the drug testers and drug cheats on their toes and continue the cleaning up of drug use in sports.
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Even though it is a shock to many sports fans, swimmer Ian Thorpe’s retirement today comes as no surprise. He is quoted as saying that “there are things in my life that are more important to me and I have to pursue them now”. He said he has lost the desire to swim at the elite level, though the truth may be that he has lost the ability to win at the elite level, and as his own expectations are so high he did not want to compete if he could not continue to win and break records. I fear that without competing at the highest level, his public profile will decrease, his worth to sponsors will decrease, and his ability to continue the lifestyle and business interests that he currently has will decrease also. We may not hear of him much any more.
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Is Ian Thorpe fat? In a country where we have a real obesity problem, there are people calling one of the world’s greatest swimmers fat because he may have put on a couple of pounds. If he is out of shape, he has shown by his determination and previous workrate that he could easily get himself back to top form. It is most likely that he was just photographed in a non-flattering pose eating junk food. And there is nothing wrong with an elite sports person having some junk food every now and then. As part of a balanced diet there is room for all types of food. As a swimmer he would burn copious amounts of calories before most of us are even out of bed, and so he would need to eat a large quantity of food to provide his energy needs. Let’s wait for the next major championship where he puts himself against the world’s best before we criticise him any more.
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It has recently been announced that the Beijing Olympic Committee are considering turning the swimming program on it’s head, so that the finals are in the morning and the heats in the evening. The reason for this is so the finals are on at prime time in the US. I have no problem with this, and I think the swimmers should welcome it. Although the world’s top swimmers are professional athletes, as with all sports, there are able to be professionals due to sponsors and the public who enjoy watching them perform. By swimming their finals in the morning they are able to satisfy both of these groups. Physiologically, they should be more than capable of swimming their best in the morning. Look at every swimmer’s training program, and you will see that they are up early every day doing laps in the pool. If the Olympic program is switched around, you will see all the lead up meets also change their program around so they can get used to the new schedule. I have also always wondered about how fresh the swimmers are after swimming several heats in the morning then coming out later that day to swim in their finals. Having to come to the pool fresh each day to race their finals, we may well see better performances – then we will not be hearing any complaints.
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