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发帖数: 242 | 1 Hang your head in shame, John Leonard
Steve BunceJuly 31, 2012
Link: http://www.espn.co.uk/london-olympics-2012/sport/story/162973.html
Ye Shiwen should be celebrated and not criticised
News: Chinese swimmer's world record raises suspicions
Michael Phelps was 15 when he set records, Ian Thorpe was the same age when
he was taking five seconds off records and Nadia Comaneci was 14 when she
won three gold medals in 1976.
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So far in London teenagers have been making headlines and I don't mean the
lively lads at Mile End tube trading flags, pins and just about anything
that is legal. There seems to be an endless list of teenagers winning or
placing in major sports and their tearful celebrations are addictive. The
boys at Mile End report selling more tissues than brollies.
Little Tom Daley with a nation's expectation on his shoulders failed, which
at 18 in the world of diving, is to be expected. It's not the rowing, it's
not one of the great British sports. He looked like a child as he fought
back tears and surely that is just too much for a kid and at 18, and after a
life in dorms and tracksuits and pools, he is still a child.
The kids are veterans, old in many ways and childish in so many other simple
pursuits. The question of innocence emerged yesterday when a 16-year-old
girl from China won in the pool and a seasoned and senior American swimming
official, John Leonard, launched an attack. The big mouth is not, I need to
add, part of the American delegation here in London.
"Disturbing," he said of an athlete who has gone through all of the doping
protocols and is clean. It was an outrageous attack, worthy of a nasty
teenager on one of the social networks. He could and probably should lose
his job and all attempts at a U-turn should be laughed at.
In Olympic history there are 10 and 12 year olds with medals of all colours
and I have no problem with kids taking part if they are good enough; parents
reading this will know that teenagers are stupid enough to try anything. I'
m still looking for a picture of ten-year-old Dimitros Loundras and his
bronze medal for team gymnastics from Athens in 1896. We had chimney sweeps,
they had boys on the rings.
Ye Shiwen needs to be protected from the outrageous verbal assault, an
assault that conjures up some of the finest stand-offs from the Cold War
heyday of the Olympics. Those were glorious days of lunatic accusations; men
were called women and women were called men and the fencers made it look
very real. It was crazily corrupt and there were victims.
The attack on the little Chinese girl was just hateful.
Some of the Chinese athletes lack a bit of emotion and for that they appear
to be easy game for rumours and suggestions. I hope the fella from USA
swimming has no ghosts in his closet. Hang your head in shame.
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