Just four years ago, Michael Phelps was god of the swimming world -- 8 Olympic gold medals and all. Now, he comes in fourth in the 400 meter, and well behind Lochte! But the potential shocker: a 16 year old girl -- in the final 50-meter spurt of her own 400-meter race -- actually clocked faster than the both of them! Very impressive!

Edited by ben2world on 07/30/2012 14:45:37 MDT.

'Roids.

Or hollow bones.

Maybe, but probably not. In any case, pump me up with 'roids and I still can't beat Phelps. Sigh...

Edited by ben2world on 07/30/2012 15:31:35 MDT.

Ben,

Phelps may embarrass you in the pool but Ben vs Phelps on the PCT - my $ would be on Ben.

David,

When I first read your "roids" comment it didn't make sense to me. All I could think of was "hemorrhoids". How, I wondered, would this help a person swim faster?

This morning, perhaps with a clearer mind, I figured out what you were talking about.

Daryl

"How, I wondered, would this help a person swim faster?"

By acting as ballast, keeping your butt higher in the water, perhaps? I don't know, I'm just speculating here, trying to answer the question.....

"Phelps may embarrass you in the pool but Ben vs Phelps on the PCT - my $ would be on Ben."

Thanks. I am flattered. But don't actually bet it -- there are much better ways to blow your $. :)

Hoot,

"my $ would be on Ben"

Would you change your bet if you knew that Phelps was on hemorrhoids?

Daryl

Olympic records are made to be broken and even though Michael Phelps did not live up to the hype. He did break the record for olympic medal to cement his name in history and that record will be broken also.
It seems the USA is getting their butt kicked this olympics, I think the world took notice after China and ramped up their olympic teams.


Terry

It's easy to ramp up your programs when you do it communist style. The soviets did it, east Germans, and now Chinese. When you take kids and shove them into "academies" and train them 24-7-365 you get good.

Michael:

I hope you're not thinking that our Olympians got there just by practicing with their daddy's on weekends?

MANY of China's best and brightest stars are trained right here in the good ol' US of A -- and also in Australia. Why? Because these two countries have some of the best academies anywhere! And their programs work, apparently.

Edited by ben2world on 07/31/2012 17:37:31 MDT.

Not sour grapes at all. It is an advantage they have. Won't fly here to the same extent and I'm glad. The closest exception we have is gymnastics. And see how our women do when competing on equal footing.

But to pretend that it isn't an advantage to take kids and shove them in academies, well your fooling yourself. And good for you, you can read stories about how Chinese send their swimmers to some Australian swimming academy.

Their best events like gymnastics, diving (former gymnasts), table tennis, weightlifting aren't being outsourced.

The brilliant little girl in question is trained in Australia! And you were referring to her.

Not to veer too far off... but seems like whenever foreigners win in anything -- we search for dark reasons. They most likely cheated. And if they didn't, well, then they're working "too hard" and that just ain't good. So we are the better judge? We are just more caring parents?

And when we win, we just celebrate!!!

I haven't come across systemic cases of middle-aged Chinese or Russians or East Germans whose lives were physically or psychologically ruined due to way-too-strenuous training that they got when they were kids. You must have, to be making the statements you made. Sources?

Edited by ben2world on 07/31/2012 18:18:27 MDT.

"The brilliant little girl in question is trained in Australia! And you were referring to her."

I never referred to her. My initial post was in response to Terry refrencing China ramping up their sports program.


Of course I am skeptical of any little girl that outperforms a man. It just doensn't usuall happen.


"Not to veer too far off... but seems like whenever foreigners win in anything -- we search for dark reasons. They most likely cheated. And if they didn't, well, then they're working "too hard" and that just ain't good. So we are the better judge? We are just more caring parents?"

Hey, I'm just as critical of the US's out of shape sych. divers and am impressed with China's use of failed gymnists to create their own synch diving program.



"I haven't come across systemic cases of middle-aged Chinese or Russians or East Germans whose lives were physically or psychologically ruined due to way-too-strenuous training that they got when they were kids. You must have, to be making the statements you made. Sources?"

You must not follow the Olympics then. The programs and the abuses in trying to compete that follow have led to many problems both in the former eastern bloc and elswhere. Even the US gymnists have stunted growth. It is quite common.

Go read up on the East German females who were given steroids and you will see some of the negatives.

"I never referred to her. My initial post was in response to Terry refrencing China ramping up their sports program."

Umm, I reread your post. Your statement was all-inclusive. Still a sore loser. Over.

Very sad that when a foreigner wins, so many of us Americans just can't bring ourselves into a celebratory mood...

ARE WE REALLY THIS SMALL OF A PEOPLE EMOTIONALLY???

Come on Ben. Read the title, read the post again(maybe the 3rd time you can turn on the reading comprehension?), I responded to Terry's post and was talking about ramping up programs in general and the Chinese specifically. I did not and am not singling any one contestant out.

You attacked me because I didn't "celebrate" losing? I can see you have never competed in sports. Most people choose to cheer for their team and not celebrate losing. But good for you. I'm glad you like to.

This is far from a US issue as you claim. Go read foreign press after the US dominates again. Go look at the witch hunt the French carried out after Lance Armstrong dominated the Tour de France.

The swimmer in question sounds like a rising star. I didn't seen any questions about her cheating in the mainstream press right after the race. The closest anybody came was one announcer asking if there would be questions since she swam so much faster than ever before and that was from a bbc guy.


But honestly, as for doubting the Chinese in general? Well they have cheated before, they have no problem cheating in general if they can get away with it, so why wouldn't people question it?



Also
stop the baseless accusations
I never complained about the US losing in basketball in 2004, because they played like crap and deserved to lose. I don't complain about Phelps losing because he hasn't worked hard enough to win. I don't accuse Kitajima of cheating when he owns Hansen because he doesn't come out of nowhere. I love to see amazing feats no matter who does them. I enjoy a perfect game even if it is against my team. I admire a great dunk by the opponent. Just because I don't gush over a chinese swimmer and laugh at Phelps losing, doesn't mean I'm a sore loser.

"Still a sore loser. Over"

Sore loser, sore winner. When you have hemorrhoids you are just plain sore. I don't think we should be making fun of people with this problem.

By the way, I'm not a sore loser. I'm just a loser.

Over.

Michael:

Using your logic, the perennial cheaters that we are (baseball, etc., etc.) -- can't blame the French "witch hunt" now, can we?

No Ben. That isn't the logic at all. You are confused again.

It isn't the perennial (cheaters)winners that people are usually suspicious of cheating. It is the people that come out of nowhere (and are known cheaters).

Examples: Ye Shiwen, usain bolt, Caster Semenya.

See the last time the Chinese swimmers came out of nowhere to win. The chinese won 12 golds in 1994 asian games and then 7 were busted for cheating. At 1998 worlds a chinese swimmer got caught in the airport with HGH. Domestically the Chinese are busting a lot of swimmers.

Now I don't feel there is overwhelming evidence or even good reason to doubt Ye Shiwen beyond Chinese history. She didn't really come out of nowhere and she is the right age for "break thoughs" but I can see why some are hesitant to rush to crown her the next great swimmer.


And as for the French, well that is just an example of countries acting the same as everybody else...get a bit upset when some foreigner whips you.

And people cheated in baseball in MLB not the olympics. You are all over the place in your attacks. You should have gone with track and field. Then you could at least have been on the right "track".

Edited by mpl_35 on 07/31/2012 22:53:12 MDT.