Thorpe disqualified from Athens 400m. !!

[Blanch]

Unfortunately, this guy won't ever be looked upon in a positive light if he decides not to pull out. For goodness sake, this man has been in the pool each day at 4am, done the training that Thorpe has done. Let him at least make his own decision. Poor bugger I feel for him.

On the other hand, the trials are there to make sure that the best swimmers get to the games. We all know Thorpe is the best swimmer. I hope they use their heads to get around this problem so Thorpe can swim the 400, but not by placing duress on the poor 2nd qualifier to withdraw.

[Bones]

The Rule is in place and should be adhered to no matter what. The rule was put there for a reason, to stop the so called overballancing being rorted. To Thorpie, tough luck, it happens to all swimmers sooner or later.
Ninemsn poll form yesterday: Should Craig Stevens stand aside for Ian Thorpe in the 400m?

Yes: 16641 (20%)
No: 66107 (80%)

nuff said.

I have a feeling the kid will eventually step aside.

[Blanch]

I just want to add that the rule is an international swimming rule. It's in place for particular events - not necessarily non-international events. The issue at hand is that the Australian committee's selection criteria is heavily based on this event, which they have decided to make use of the rule. According the Wally Foreman (WAIS) there is other criteria and in the end the head coach has the final say on who swims what event.

[Donny]

Thorpe leaves door ajar

By Margie McDonald - Fox


IAN THORPE left the door open to swim in his pet event, the 400 metres freestyle, in Athens if his former club team-mate Craig Stevens genuinely does not want to swim the race at the Olympics.


The 21-year-old champion has maintained for the past nine days since his disqualification from the event at the Olympic trials he would never ask Stevens, 23, to step down from the event.

Thorpe has not been beaten over the distance since he won the world championship in Perth in 1998 as a 15-year-old.

He reiterated that stance last night in an interview with Channel Seven's Today Tonight, but added that if Stevens came to him and told him he did not want to swim the 400m, then he would consider swimming it.

"If he really doesn't want to swim the event, I will consider it," Thorpe told Seven, to which he is contracted.

"I don't know if that's even possible, but if he's pressured into it or he's forced not to swim it, I won't be swimming that event."

Thorpe added another proviso that he would want to know the circumstances around Stevens' decision, if indeed he did rule himself out.

"I don't think it's going to happen. But it depends on his decision and what his reasoning behind that decision is," Thorpe said.

Thorpe and Stevens, who used to swim together at Sutherland pool in Sydney's south before Stevens moved to Canberra's Australian Institute of Sport in 2000, were named in the team for the 2004 Games starting on August 13 in Athens.

Thorpe has qualified for the 100m and 200m freestyle and all three men's relays, while Stevens has qualified for the 400m and 1500m freestyle and the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Stevens has taken a week off to go fishing after the Olympic selection trials wrapped up last Saturday night in Sydney. He is not expected back with AIS coach Glenn Beringen until next week.

He finds himself in the dilemma because Thorpe - the Olympic 400m champion and world record holder - false-started in the heats on March 27 and was disqualified from the final after Australian Swimming officials knocked back his appeal.

Thorpe maintained he heard a noise in the crowd when the swimmers were on the blocks and over-balanced into the water.

Last night he said he had no hope of Stevens relinquishing the 400m spot.

"I'm not even contemplating that whatsoever. Craig was the one who qualified for that event and he should be the one swimming it in Athens," he said.

But asked what he would do if he was in Stevens' shoes, Thorpe said: "Do whatever my heart tells me.

"I've spoken to Craig and he's asked me how I feel about it and I really think that Craig worked hard for everything he's been able to achieve and if he wants to swim that event, I think that not only myself but everyone really should get behind him."

An article in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald suggested 'some people' questioned the wisdom of Thorpe splitting with long-time coach Doug Frost after the Sydney Olympics and starting afresh with one of Frost's former assistants, Tracey Menzies.

"What happened in the heats of that (400m) race couldn't be changed. It wouldn't have mattered who I was actually training with," Thorpe said. "I mean, if I wasn't with the coach I have now, I wouldn't be swimming."