Thorpe is in!!!

[talk2drew]

Just saw on the TV - Thorpy is swimming the 400m freestyle in Athens!!! Poor Craig Stevens... but yay for Thorpe!!!

[Megabyte]

Thorpe is an arrogant, rude fuckhead.
The other bloke only backed out because he would have been constantly hounded and pressured to.
Fuck Thorpe.

[catt]

I know this may not give Australia the best sporting chance. But if Thorpe was disqualified for falling into the pool in the first place then shouldn't whoever placed after Craig Stevens in the final of the 400m be the one to go to Athens?

[thingy]

I am completely against his decision, but it was bound to happen.

So Thorpie fucked up and fell in the water - a bit of bad luck. That's sport for you. Everyone should have accepted what happened and moved on. Thorpie should concentrate on training for the events he's got left, same for Stevens.

It's all a result of a bad qualifying routing that's in place. How did we get 3 definite spots for this race? The idea of garanteed entry (for at least 3 people) is rediculous - shouldn't it be about competing against the best? The times from race meets during a certain period of the year should have determined which country got how many spots and who they were, in which case if Stevens was good enough to qualify he should have - if not he shouldn't have. This wouldn't have left any positions for Thorpie to steal.

Good and bad luck, this shit happens - I'll be cheering for Australia all the way, except for Thorpie in this one race.

[Al]

If thorpe hadn't false started he'd be the one going to athens. Realistically that's the only reason Craig Stevens got in. Thorpe is the better swimmer, end of story, since when has sport ever been about being fair?

[Grizzlee]

Stevens should never had to make the decision to swim or not and I'm blaming all the Aussie pricks demanding him to step down.
If Thorpe was the better swimmer, well he really shouldn't have fucked up.
On the day the best swimmer was Stevens. He won his spot fair and square.
It is not like Thorpe didn't have anything else to race in.
Another thing that shat me is Thorpe accepted he did not qualify, end of story. It wasn't until the uproar of the media and public that this became an issue.
It was not Stevens decision. He really didn't have a choice. The pressure on the poor guy forced him to step aside.
Come on if you won a spot on the Olympic team, winning it fair and square, would you give it up?
He should have been stoked that he was going to Athens and not given all this crap.

And catt does bring up a good point. If Stevens steps aside why does Thorpe get the spot? He didn't win the race. Thought you had to qualify to compete.



On a side note. I wouldn't want to compete in an open pool in the middle of an Athen's Summer. Go the sunburns...go the slow times.

[Afta Image]

Thorpe, You suck ballz.....

You lost so get the fuck out!!!!!

I dare say there was a lot of sponsership presure to ave Thorpe in there though.

Once again, Thorpe, you fucked up, Your should be out. Besides you have had your glory, give some one else a time to shine who won the spot by the rules....

[thingy]

Originally posted by big al
since when has sport ever been about being fair?

Since wars and battles started being conducted with rules of engagement, and then warriors started competing in friendly battles with stricter rules, that eventually turned into competition in other forms with rules of engagement which has since been fine tuned into sports as we know it today.

[Scythe]

Originally posted by thingy
Since wars and battles started being conducted with rules of engagement, and then warriors started competing in friendly battles with stricter rules, that eventually turned into competition in other forms with rules of engagement which has since been fine tuned into sports as we know it today.

And time and again it has unfortunately been proven that the side which breaks the rules usually wins, both in sport and in war.

[Al]

Originally posted by thingy
Since wars and battles started being conducted with rules of engagement, and then warriors started competing in friendly battles with stricter rules, that eventually turned into competition in other forms with rules of engagement which has since been fine tuned into sports as we know it today.

Ah, here you are talking about rules. That's got nothing to do with being fair. You can still play by the rules and be totally unfair...

[thingy]

Are not rules in sport designed for fairness?

[Al]

Originally posted by thingy
Are not rules in sport designed for fairness?

Yep, so I was wrong in saying they have nothing to do with fairness, but they don't guarantee it.

[tikdoph]

I think there are several issues that need to be addressed here.

Firstly, the retarded Australian Swimming Inc. rule that disqualifies a swimmer for one false start. A stupid rule that basically amounts to "Let's cut off our nose to spite our face". Under ASI's strict Olympic selection policy, Thorpe had no further avenue of appeal. FFS, it's not like he jumped the gun. He overbalanced and toppled into the pool. It was a freak event. The last time Thorpe slipped off the block was probably as an age group swimmer. This rule essentially goes against what sport should represent. Fair play. Had ASI placed a more reasonable two false start disqualification rule in place, this whole affair would never have happened. Thorpe would simply have gotten back up onto the block and swum his race. That being said, I consider it to be the height of hypocrisy to disqualify someone from a race and then give them a spot simply because someone else who earned their place stepped down. ASI seems to think that it's not ok to accidentally topple into the pool, but it's ok to be disqualified, not swim the race, but then be handed a spot, left by someone who stepped down due to an immense amount of media pressure, without even competing.

Like catt, I find it mind-boggling that the vacant spot vacated by Stevens stepping down goes to Thorpe instead of the swimmer who placed after Stevens. It makes me wonder why they bothered having a race at all if Thorpe was to automatically be given a spot. Again, the hypocrisy beggars belief.

Thirdly, that the Australian media has seen fit to villify Stevens for having the audacity to take a well earned Olympic spot for a race he actually competed in. Thorpe was disqualified, and as ridiculous as that may be, according to the rules that's the way the cookie crumbles, so DEAL WITH IT.

If Thorpe wins this event in Athens, it will not be an Australian gold medal that I'll be proud of. This whole farce has been nothing but a debacle and ASI needs a good stiff kick up the ass. They are an international laughing stock.

[Grizzlee]

Originally posted by catt
I know this may not give Australia the best sporting chance. But if Thorpe was disqualified for falling into the pool in the first place then shouldn't whoever placed after Craig Stevens in the final of the 400m be the one to go to Athens?

ok. Found out how this works.

Once the Swim Team is announced, you can not add anymore ppl.
If by chance a swimmer is forced out of a race, say due to injury or bullied to drop out, they can only be replaced by someone in the already made Swim Team.
Since Thorpe was part of that swim team, he is given the opportunity to fill in the blank.
Because the guy who finished after Stevens didn't make the team, he can't.

Its still shit though.

[sperm]

sheesh, theres alot of word posted above. I'll add my idea without reading/ trawling through them, so I apologize if someone has said it before.

Has anyone considered why ppl get disqualified from false starts during the team selections ??
Its because they will be equally disqualified during the actual olympics race.

So for whatever reason thorpe screwed up once - head-rush/big head/lost balance/arse blowing too much wind
then this could well occur again !!

While its a huge shame he might not be able to defend his crown, he fucked up !

I would be sooooo gratified if he does the same thing in athens

HA-HA !

[damo]

The guy who finished after Stephens anounced shortly after the incident occured that he would not take up a place if Stephens stepped down.

Also the reason the ASI has a one false start and you're out rule is because this is the same rule which is in place at all international meets, including the olympics. Its pretty stupid, since it will lead to problems such as this where the best swimmer will not be in the race, due to an accident. It should be ammended to something along the lines of; one deliberate false start and you're out, with deliberate being up to the discretion of the race officials at the pool on the day.

[Afta Image]

OK. I understand that one fuck up can be devistating, especial since they all train so fucking hard (yes, even the turdpedo trains hard too).

BUT, he fucked up and those are the rules. In a hypothetical situations (and these do happen), what about if Thorpe was injured in an car accident, we would feel sorry for the guy (even I would) but he would not be able to compete. they are not exactly going to stop the olympics for him.

The sad fact is the rules say one false start and your out. Thorpe fucked up and he should be out for good. Besides, I am sure Thorpe has other races to swim, as for stevens, I am not sure if he qualified in anything else. I huess I just thought it was an Australian tradition to give everyone a go. Silly me.

[damo]

I believe Stephens qualified for the 1500m, and he will also swim in the 4x400m freestyle relay, for which he holds a world championship gold medal, and the Australians would be favourites to win this event at the olympics, however without Thorpe it would be likely they would not win, hrrmm, so by giving up his 400m individual spot, he'll get a medal in the 4x400m relay, hooray, everyone's a winner.

[kyuss]

"Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence: in other words it is war minus the shooting." George Orwell

[angel_b]

Originally posted by Grizzlee
On a side note. I wouldn't want to compete in an open pool in the middle of an Athen's Summer. Go the sunburns...go the slow times.
Really? The Olympic swim meet is going to take place in an open pool? :eek:

Both boys conducted themselves with dignity and aplomb. It was the media that acted like arseholes - surprise, surprise :rolleyes:

I wish them both well.

[damo]

I believe it was supposed to be indoor, but the roof got scrapped due to it being behind schedule.

I'm pretty sure, both Barcelona and Seoul were in outdoor pools, not 100% though.

[Grizzlee]

Originally posted by angel_b
Really? The Olympic swim meet is going to take place in an open pool? :eek:

Because they are running so far behing in construction, they have given up putting a roof over the pool.

[Afta Image]

What the worst that can happen with no roofs, it rains and the swimmers get wet????

PLEASE NOTE: To anyone who wishes to complain about my poor humor, please send your email to Blowme@yousadtosser.com...

[imp]

I agree with Moebs on this one.

Basically Craig Stevens was hounded, pushed and shoved into making this decision. People recognise Thorpe as a well published swimmer.
I.E He's in the media light a lot and so people identify with him better.

I really feel for Craig. He did all the right things, didn't get disqualified or mess up in HIS qualifying race. Thorpe did so he doesn't get to go. Simple!

Unfortunetly most people don't understand rules are rules and no matter who you are (or who you think you are) they apply to everyone. I know some people I hang with who act like this. Like the world owes them something. It's pathetic and sad.

[spurr]

Originally posted by angel_b
Both boys conducted themselves with dignity and aplomb. It was the media that acted like arseholes - surprise, surprise :rolleyes:

Great summation of the incident.

Personal opinions on the individuals involved aside, I think this is the best outcome for Thorpe, Stevens and their chances in Athens.

It's a lot better than deciding who goes in the event by holding a best of three swim-off ala the Michael Diamond situation.