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offshoreswimmer

Listed below are comments made by offshoreswimmer between Sunday, 31st August 2008 and Wednesday, 3rd September 2008.

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It's my final countdown 11:22pm on 03 Sep 2008 Come on kids, the guy had just swum flat out for the best part of two hours, narrowly missed out on a gold despite pulling the eventual winner along for the greater part of the race.

Fair enough, to throw some water in the direction of a volunteer isn't perhaps the most sportsmanly thing to do, but thug? A bit harsh don't you think?

One last thought, before being quick to judge his behavior, I feel that some of the bloggers on here should go out and swim 10km and then see how in control of their functions they are.
Phelps, Mellouli and the best swimmers in Europe 10:47pm on 03 Sep 2008 Not that I'm knocking Phelps' achievements in the pool, but for me it is nowhere near the greatness of Sir Steve Redgrave.

The fact is Sir Steve was at the top of his game across five Olympics and that takes some doing.

If Phelps had gained his medals across a variety of events ie. sprints, mid and the 10km then perhaps it would be fair to say that he is the greatest swimmer of all time.

Physiologically, as the fastest swimmer over 100 and 200 meters then you would expect him to be near, if not at the top of the pile for the same distances in the other strokes.

Get Phelps into some sea swimming and/or long distance events and see if all the hype is deserved.
Marathon swim delivers another sensational finish - and inspirational champion 7:05pm on 02 Sep 2008 Dear U3805756,

as I said, I'm not condoning what Davis did/didn't do, I am merely trying to lay out some reasons as to why he may have acted as he did.

Your right to say that right is right etc. and I couldn't agree more that a volunteer in any sport doesn't deserve to be treated with disrespect (though thankfully it seems that in swimming we have a long way to go until we reach the standards of football, but don't get me started on that).

In response to your comments about the schedule, I would like to aid that, given the nature of this event, don't you think that perhaps a longer period in between the finish and the ceremony may have been a better idea?

I do think that whilst what Davis is reported to have done isn't the kind of behavior I would like to see from any sportsman, I must admit that some of the comments on this blog have been perhaps a tad over-zealous.

Whilst Davis should apologize to the individual concerned, I think perhaps the British should focus more on his achievements at the games, it seems that the press and public are too keen (in some instances) to focus on the negative. Think about how much coverage Paula Radcliffe received after the marathon in comparison with Mara Yamauchi.
Tri as hard as you can, but sometimes it's not enough 1:13pm on 31 Aug 2008 I just wanted to agree with sportisawonderdrug's comment. Triathlon doesn't get anywhere near enough coverage, and when it does it tends to be on at some obscure time in the morning.

How much coverage of Chrissie Wellingtons superb efforts in Hawaii last year was there? I find this very bizarre considering that Tri is one of the fastest growing sports in the country.

Unfortunately football will continue to have the monopoly on coverage, but which would you rather hear about, Rooney's damaged metatarsal or Brownlee's efforts in Beijing? I know who is the better role model.
Marathon swim delivers another sensational finish - and inspirational champion 12:52pm on 31 Aug 2008 I'm not condoning what Davis is reported to have done, but allow me to highlight a few points to his critics...

1) I doubt that many of the people commenting on Davis' behavior have ever swum long distances in open water, if they had they would realize that on exiting the water you don't have a full understanding of what's going on as due to the sudden drop in blood pressure (which can lead to confusion, erratic behavior and collapse).

2) Davis was bound to be suffering from greater fatigue from the eventual winner and those behind him as he had lead for the greater part of the race. Swimming on his heels would have required up to 30% less energy than it would have taken to have swam in front.

3) If the time schedule was so tight, why have the medal ceremony so soon after the race, at least allow the athletes the chance to conduct interviews etc. before whisking them off to the podium.

To brand Davis' a thug or an embarrassment is wholly unfair. Put yourself in his shoes and imagine how you would have felt to not only have just missed out on an Olympic Gold but to then be hurriedly ushered away from an experience that you have earned.

Perhaps an apology would clear the air? I do know that Davis should be congratulated on an epic effort and we should be proud of his achievement, after all, it's not like he kicked an official in the face, is it??

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