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View Full Version : Jessica Schipper's 200mtr butterfly silver medal



goughy
30th July 2005, 08:46 PM
Anyone hear the story about this. She came second in the world champs to a polish swimmer by .04 of a second. Both were under WR time. Now here is the kicker!

In butterfly and breastroke events the swimmer much touch the wall with both hands at the same time to finish the race officially. They have rules officials on hand etc to assure of this, and they feel there has been a breach then they can call on video evidence. But once the head official signs off o the race it is all over. While I believe and appeal is still available the video evidence is not allowed and since it pretty much comes down to what the official saw............. you know what I mean.

I had heard that the polish swimmer touched the wall with only one hand to set off the timer. If this was the case then if an official saw this they could be dq'ed. I have since read that not only did she touch the wall with only one hand, but her other arm was down beside her body, possibly helping propel herself in a freestyle motion. How an official could miss this; it would be pretty obvious. But being human I fully understand that things can be missed. But because they missed this, the result will stand regardless of evidence (which I'd like to see) and a swimmer who used an illegal motion to gain an advantage will win the race. I'm not calling her a cheat. But if she did do this then the aussie is the 'real' winner of the race, not that that means much.

What a shame as I love seeing aussies win.

I'm hoping sports sunday show the footage of this as I'd love to see it for myself.

Anyway, I think this may be the first sporting topic (non-golf) that I've brought up. Next thing you know I'll be talking fooz-ball.

Jarro
30th July 2005, 08:59 PM
i saw it Goughy ..... the Aussie girl was absolutely robbed of the gold medal :x .. and the worst part of all was that the lane official was standing right over the top of the blocks when the Polish girl touched the wall, and , unless he was totally BLIND, would've seen the blatent breach of the rules :roll:

AndyP
31st July 2005, 10:57 AM
Was the official Polish? ;)

Perhaps these officials are rarely called on to determine the touching of the wall, and get complacent and assume that the swimmers will touch with both hands.

Jarro
31st July 2005, 03:51 PM
i can't understand why they can't use video evidence :?

Pinglauncher
1st August 2005, 11:46 AM
At that level to miss an "illegal touch" is farsical.

At my kids primary school swimming canival this year children that had incorrect finishes were taken aside and both shown and explained the correct way to do it.

I then saw children DQ'ed at the DISTRICT & ZONE levels and when we got to STATE the officials went through the whole process again to explain the "touch" process.

How on earth can they miss it at World Champs level especially when first and second is so close.

goughy
1st August 2005, 05:33 PM
I saw the footage on the weekend, and while from above it was a little hard to tell from below it was blatant. And there is no way she could have 'accidentally' done it. She had to make an effort to perform half a freestyle stroke and stretch out further with her other hand.

But thems the breaks. Jessica took it like a true champ - probably knows that in reality she would have won; as does everyone else in the world now.

Jarro
1st August 2005, 05:49 PM
Goughy, i saw the overhead footage and it was as plain as day that she touched one-handed.

the official is either clinically blind, or on the take from the ruskies.

Fishman Dan
1st August 2005, 06:23 PM
Why can't it be revoked now??

goughy
1st August 2005, 08:42 PM
The only time the video footage can be used if on of the officials or ref's (whatever) see's and reports something themselves. And once the head signs off on the race it's all over. No one else can call the evidence.

If the aussies made an appeal, the only witness they can really call are the officials. Since they didn't see anything at the time of the race what would be the point. And they can't use the video evidence. Case closed time to go home.