GirlsAloudFan
Blue Crack Addict
Missy Franklin can get it.
LemonMelon said:So, is Shiwen doping or what? I don't know enough about Olympic records to claim that a 5 second improvement on a previous best/topping the world record by a full second is impossible, but it's insane in any case.
My cynicism tells me they're ALL doping, which is probably right. Nonetheless.
Every time a Chinese swimmer does well allegations of drugs/doping comes out. Stephanie Rice knocked six seconds off a PB in 08.
I really just can't get my head around the idea of a little 16 year old girl being faster in the water than Ryan Lochte. His wingspan alone should give him several seconds on her.
It was a barnstormer of a swim. 'Faster than Lochte' headlines flashed around the world and, suddenly, a 16-year-old girl was quicker than a full-grown US superman. It's juicy and accurate, to a point. But surgically removing one stat from a 400m swimming race and seizing upon it has warped perceptions and conclusion.
That freestyle leg was dazzling but Ye isn't faster than Lochte. Not even close. Lochte's winning time in the men's 400m IM was 4.05.18, compared to Ye's 4.28.43. That's a difference of 23.25 seconds. And Lochte's lead-off relay sprint for the US men's team was 47.89, a number to which Ye couldn't get close despite being a gun freestyler.
The manner in which the races were swum adds another layer. Lochte had the race in hand by the time he turned on the freestyle leg. His other three strokes were good enough to give him a gold-medal lead and there was no clear and present danger ranging up on either side.
Ye had to hit the burners to motor past Beisel. She turned more than a body length behind and had to push with everything she had to catch the American. By the time she did that, it must have been clear a world record was within reach and she drove it home with Black Caviar authority. In any case, four other male swimmers did beat Ye's freestyle split.
Thanks for that article, Ax. Offers a different perspective, which is essential for me since I don't know what I'm talking about really.
LemonMelon said:So, is Shiwen doping or what? I don't know enough about Olympic records to claim that a 5 second improvement on a previous best/topping the world record by a full second is impossible, but it's insane in any case.
My cynicism tells me they're ALL doping, which is probably right. Nonetheless.
cobl04 said:Every time a Chinese swimmer does well allegations of drugs/doping comes out. Stephanie Rice knocked six seconds off a PB in 08.
Axver said:I don't really have an opinion on this - especially since so many people passing swift judgement aren't exactly in informed positions to know, and I know I'm not either - but I thought this article made a good point on the Lochte comparison:
Irvine511 said:That Author doesn't know a thin about swimming.
That article gets it totally wrong. It's exactly because Lochte clobbers her on all the other strokes that makes her fast-as-his freestyle all that much more suspicious. It was swum at the end of a 400 IM where the two should be equally as tired.
That Author doesn't know a thin about swimming.
Oh and you do??
Latest installment in Axver Hates Channel Nine: They're still asking "what went wrong?" about that 4x100m freestyle men's relay, as if the gold was Australia's divinely ordained entitlement.
What went wrong? They weren't as good as three other relay teams on the day. Not that fucking hard to figure out.
move on already channel 9, stop banging on about it and show some of the other live events instead of endlessly rehashing yesterdays news
Can we trade Andrew Gaze for Dwayne Russel for the basketball commentary?!
Although I wouldn't be surprised if he started calling the game with phrases like "shoots from 50 and "that was clearly a throw!"
Showjumping very exciting and tense. Andrew Nicholson put in an awesome run for New Zealand - we're still in contention for a team eventing medal, though as I type I think Germany's just secured the gold. Mark Todd still to come, and if he has a clean round then he's guaranteed an individual eventing medal. God I hope he can do it.
sorry about Mark Todd! i was torn, because i think he is so great, but Team GB's chances were hinging on him not going clear!