When you start thinking swimmers are lame for not breaking the world record, it's an indication that something strange has happened. Fastskin seems to be the culprit (or the Chi-coms have rigged the pool, which I haven't ruled out - I'm in touch with my inner conspiracy theorist). As wonderful as technology is, I feel that some of the specialness and excitement has been taken out of Olympic swimming this year by these new super high tech swimsuits. Breaking a world record is so common place and routine in these games, and sometimes by such a huge margin as shown by the green line, that I no longer feel that lump in my throat Olympic thrill for the athletes breaking them. I have teared up many at time at the breaking of a world record, but last night it was just like watching any ol' ordinary race. I don't feel like it's the swimmers who are breaking the records, so much as the great designers at Speedo. On Speedo's Fastskin website it says:
Designed to help swimmers blow the competition out of the water! FASTSKIN FSII ® increases speed by reducing passive drag by up to 4%.
Well if every swimmer is wearing one, what's the point? I'd like them to get rid of them and make record breaking uncommon and special again.
So, the new fab swimwear has ruined the world record aspect of Olympic swimming this year for me, but it does nothing to diminish Michael Phelps' dominance in my eyes! He is a swimming god. The placing would be the same without the Fastskins, just a little slower all around.
Hmmmm, the gymnastics for both the men and women have been a little weird for me this year. The women's team competition two nights ago was excruciating to watch from the moment that one chick fell off the balance beam. I don't feel like looking up her name, you know who I'm talking about. Shawn Johnson followed her with a great beam routine, but that was about it for our women. They were all falling all over the place on their floor exercises. That was painful, but then they whined the next day about this and that, making excuses when they had clearly been beaten by the Chinese. I hope they can redeem themselves tonight, and at least not whine if they do poorly again. Yes, I know they got the silver, but they ended on a very bad note.
So although my Olympic fever is slightly down at the moment, I feel it will come back pretty strong in about 3 hours :)
Oh, and I'm pulling for the 33 year old gymnast on the German women's team. Hope she wins a medal! But she could seriously use a bow in her hair, or something.
3 comments:
My inner conspiratorialist in sneaking in on these games too!
Ditto on the techno swimwear! I wish I could watch the rhythmic gymnastics with you.
Any whining done by the women's gymnastics team pales in comparison to the over-the-top pompous egotism displayed by the men's team who boasted of their bronze win and conveniently overlooked the fact that they LOST the silver. Jonathon Horton needs a big old dose of humility. Sorry for the rant. Did you see the Japanese dude on rings who slipped off during the all-around competition? Bad news!
Yes I saw it, and watched it back at least five times!
I agree about the men! That little bit of bravado to the camera at the end was obnoxious.
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