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saint_monkeyOne of the interesting things about the 15 year old Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen simply crushing all known swimming achievements in the final leg of the 200 meter individual medley, is how no swimmers, male or female, are going on the record to criticize her, and instead, are simply praising what they see as an almost inhuman performance:
Ryan Lochte "It was pretty impressive. And it was a female. She's fast. If she was there with me, I don't know, she might have beat me."
"I'd like to congratulate Ye because she's having just an awesome meet so far and let people know it's a tremendous accomplishment," said bronze medalist Caitlin Leverenz of the USA. "She's proven that it is possible (for a female to top male times). It's easy for people to point fingers, but you can just as easily point fingers at any of the other amazing races we've had so far. It's not my place to point fingers at anyone's performance."
"We have to remember that young swimmers can take chunks of time off that other people can't," Australian swimming legend Ian Thorpe told the BBC.
To me, this praise from swimmers seems to be saying something that the press isn't picking up on. Even considering doping, the praise is coming from people who may be "doped" as much as can be legally done, and who have every advantage that technology and training can afford,and who are used to competing on a level where they likely face off against illegally enhanced swimmers, even considering all of that, these swimmers are saying simply, "this was freaking AMAZING."
Ryan Lochte "It was pretty impressive. And it was a female. She's fast. If she was there with me, I don't know, she might have beat me."
"I'd like to congratulate Ye because she's having just an awesome meet so far and let people know it's a tremendous accomplishment," said bronze medalist Caitlin Leverenz of the USA. "She's proven that it is possible (for a female to top male times). It's easy for people to point fingers, but you can just as easily point fingers at any of the other amazing races we've had so far. It's not my place to point fingers at anyone's performance."
"We have to remember that young swimmers can take chunks of time off that other people can't," Australian swimming legend Ian Thorpe told the BBC.
To me, this praise from swimmers seems to be saying something that the press isn't picking up on. Even considering doping, the praise is coming from people who may be "doped" as much as can be legally done, and who have every advantage that technology and training can afford,and who are used to competing on a level where they likely face off against illegally enhanced swimmers, even considering all of that, these swimmers are saying simply, "this was freaking AMAZING."
