Some fascinating quotes out of Rome at today's World Championships, particularly from Phelps' coach Bob Bowman after Phelps was drubbed by German Paul Biedermann in the 200 free in WR time. So I'm bringing out my magic deciphering device to help us all:
Bowman: "Probably expect Michael not to swim until they (restrictions on high-tech bodysuits) are implemented."
Deciphered: "We will not participate in another race that we aren't sure we can win. We are taking our ball and going home."
Bowman: "I'm done with this. It has to be implemented immediately. The mess needs to be stopped right now. This can't go on any further."
Deciphered: "Right now! Before we get egg on our face again!"
Bowman: "Does a 10-year-old boy in Baltimore want to break Paul Biedermann's record? Is that going to make him join swimming?"
Deciphered: "10,000 kids in Berlin just joined their local swim teams. Watch out for the German team in 2020!"
Bowman: "The sport is in shambles right now..."
Deciphered: "The world is upside down! Michael is human!"
Bowman: "...and they better do something or they're going to lose their guy who fills these seats."
Deciphered: "Ryan Lochte is going home too!"
These suits should never have been allowed in the first place. Something like 128 world records were broken last year (including Ian Thorpe's "unbeatable" 400 free). It's only a matter of time...sooner or later, better swimmers will come along and smash these technologically doped world records.
ReplyDeleteIt is easy to wish the suits never came around, and I have to admit I have had the same thought. Remember though that the suit invasion came gradually and few complained at first. Suit companies produced one model after the next, each one pushing the rules back a little more until we had the records explosion of 2008-09.
ReplyDeleteTwo interesting observations...
Ian Thorpe was among the first swimmers to embrace the bodysuits, and in my memory he was one of the few to wear a full wrist-to-ankles contraption. Trouble is that back then the evidence that it helped him wasn't so obvious.
Never before yesterday did I ever hear about Thorpe's 400 free as the "unbeatable" record. Opponents of the suits (a group I sometimes feel like I belong to) have overused that phrase in the past 48 hours way too much.