US Olympic Swimming Trials

[WolverineBlue]

Americans have set five world records so far at the US trials.

Brendan Hansen -- 100m and 200m breaststroke

Aaron Peirsol -- 200m backstroke

Michael Phelps -- 400m individual medley

Amanda Beard -- 200m breaststroke

Two more world records are at risk tonight in the men's 100m fly and the men's 50m free. GO USA SWIMMING!!!! woot woot

http://www.usaswimming.org/USASWeb/ViewMiscArticle.aspx?TabId=160&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en&mid=471&ItemId=1279

[Seraphim]

We'll see after the drug tests p-)

[ShotOver]

haha, yeah we'll see after the dope tests.

[ronin2172]

i just hope they arn't peaking too early....the mess US track and field is in has me really rooting for the swim team

[WolverineBlue]

I'll be so pissed if there's any hint of drugs or doping with the swim team. I've already given up on the crooks in track and field. :oops: :oops:

[duck]

Hope the guys don't mind swimming in the open.

"Swimming roof for 2004 Olympics deemed a must

ATHENS: International swimming federation officials on Friday urged the Greek government not to back down from plans to put a roof onto the Olympic Games’ swimming stadium.

“A roof is indispensable and we’re optimistic it will be finished in time,” International Swimming Federation (FINA) President Mustapha Larfaoui said during the diving World Cup, a test event for this summer. “The roof is important for viewers and athletes. People cannot stay under the sun. Everybody knows temperatures are very high in Athens in August,” FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu told AFP. "

Greek government officials announced Tuesday the roof project was in a limbo, and that an alternative solution will have to be found, after the contractor chosen to build it said he could not carry out the project.

“We’ll try to find a common solution... a temporary roof would do,” Cornel Marculescu said. “We had received the plans in 2001 and had also ourselves presented them to others,” Marculescu said, expressing his surprise at the development. Greek government officials attempted to talk down the problem.

Tilemachos Chytiris, spokesman for Prime Minister Costas Simitis, said Tuesday the roof was just meant to provide shadow for television cameras and was not vital to the stadium. Marculescu expressed his satisfaction at the Olympic indoor swimming stadium, in which the diving test event takes place until Sunday. “It’s an excellent and beautiful new venue,” the official said. —AFP

[Smoothie104]

You are incredibly naive if you think that track and field is the only olympic sport where athletes look to modern science and medicine for performance enhancement.

Dope tests rarely work anyways. Wiretaps, searches, and investigations turn up more cheats than the tests. The Athletes are always several steps ahead. They catch them with products that are still in clinical trials, and not even approved for use yet, but some one at the drug company is selling it out the back door.


There is still no test in place for Human Growth Hormone, and their hasn't been since its been used over 15 years ago. This will be the 4 the Olympics where Athletes are free to use it without fear of being caught. It is a fantastic recovery agent. And the current test for EPO, an anemia drug that increase red blood cell count(oxygen carrying capabilities) can only detect synthetic EPO after 3 days of injection, yet its effects last for weeks. Even if they come out with a test with a better detection period, Endurance Athletes will still boost up their hematocrit, withdrawl some blood, freeze it, and then re-inject it before race day. Even putting a maximum Hematocrit count in the test is usesless, as the percentage can be diluted temporarily and within 20 minutes.

There are rumors that an HgH test will be in place, but no one knows whether that is being said to discourage its use, or whether they actually have it. If it turns out they do have it, you will see a lot of big names not attending, due to either "injury" or "concerns regarding lack of security"

You have a Handful of people trying to stop the doping, and thousands of Athletes trying to beat one another at all costs........ The Athletes will always be ahead.

"I have never tested positive for any banned substances" means

A. I havent been caught

B. I'm taking stuff thats not banned, either becuase no one knows its exists yet, or they think its for race horses

Soon they will be altering their DNA through gene therapy, and how are you going to detect that?

[WolverineBlue]

Things are looking pretty grim for these Olympic Games. What'd they have -- 6, 8 years -- to prepare for this? Now, apparently they've only sold 1.95 million tickets out of 5.3 million...no one feels safe in Athens. Add the electricity problems and general chaos, and you will find a highly unorganized, unsafe and embarassing games.

Good luck to you Greece -- hurry and finish all the work!!!!

[WolverineBlue]

You are incredibly naive if you think that track and field is the only olympic sport where athletes look to modern science and medicine for performance enhancement.

Dope tests rarely work anyways. Wiretaps, searches, and investigations turn up more cheats than the tests. The Athletes are always several steps ahead. They catch them with products that are still in clinical trials, and not even approved for use yet, but some one at the drug company is selling it out the back door.

Soon they will be altering their DNA through gene therapy, and how are you going to detect that?

I think this was directed to me. Not quite sure why you think I think that track and field is the only sport where people try to cheat. In any case, I know that American swimmers have cheated, that the Chinese women cheated (thanks to them inheriting the former East German coach), and many others have cheated.

My point was that I will be embarassed and enraged if American swimmers are cheating. It's been awhile since any swimmer has been caught -- let's keep it that way. I just hope it's because they're not cheating instead of cheating so well. Wishful thinking, perhaps, but I believe in the sanctity of fair sportsmanship and for harsh penalties if caught.

[Smoothie104]

nothing personal was intended.

[Seoulstriker]

Phelps f***ed up and did not qualify for the races he should have qualified for. :( I was really rooting for him.

[WolverineBlue]

Phelps f***ed up and did not qualify for the races he should have qualified for. :( I was really rooting for him.

Phelps has finished first or second in all five events he entered and swum so far. He is technically qualified for all five, and he has one more to go -- 100m fly, which he has a good chance of beating the world record in tonight.

According to the official Olympic team roster, he's in:

200m free
200m back
200m fly
200m IM
400m IM
and 4x200m free relay.

http://www.usaswimming.org/USASWeb/ViewNewsArticle.aspx?TabId=0&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en&ItemId=129&mid=1248

Hope that makes your day, Seoulstriker. ;)

[Seoulstriker]

That does make my day! woot

I read in the newspaper that he lost one of the races (I think 100m backstroke) and failed to qualify for that one. I just glanced over it and didn't read the article because I was pretty disappointed at that point. ;)


It's great news that he has qualified in all those events! I can't wait to see him in action at the olympics.

[WolverineBlue]

Ian Crocker just broke the world record in the 100m fly, and Phelps finished second. Mission accomplished for Michael Phelps -- he has qualified for six individual events. woot woot

[Pooga]

200m fly. I would die. I have trouble enough for a 50.