Are you serious?

[apocalypsos]

Point/Counterpoint: Dara Torres helping a competitor

Yes, Chris Chase. She's a maniacal genius who leapt on a torn suit to psychologically manipulate her competitors!

For serious, if the way the announcers were talking about her before the heats even began was any indication, making a big production didn't have to work to her benefit. Being Dara fucking Torres was working just fine, thankyouverymuch.

Comments

[florahart]

Well OF COURSE! She was totally able to just predict that there would be a way handy to psych out the competition.

Also, I don't think that was Trickett she was telling to chill out. I think it was Campbell. So, you know, he's not only wrong, but also wrong.

[telaryn.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Trickett wasn't even in that heat - she'd already swum. It was Campbell.

[suaine.livejournal.com]

seriously, what the fuck are people on? those comments are fucking ridiculous -_-

[telaryn.livejournal.com]

o.O This person has no *clue* what they're talking about. First of all, the 50M freestyle is such a fast event that the only strategy that really ever works for anyone is "Dive in and swim like your ass in on fire".

Second, at this level, these women are used to a million different things potentially delaying or distracting them just before a race. I promise you, it's much harder to deal with the false starts allowed at lower-level races than it is having to wait a few minutes to even get on the block.

Third, way to ignore that without Dara's intervention odds are this woman wouldn't have been able to swim at all. The refs are not *required* to hold the race for anything or anybody. Maybe being Dara Torres worked in her favor in making the request, but if it did - yay for her! (and the ref, who is an *awesomely* cool and fair person anyway.)

That's called sportsmanship and using your fame to help others...okay, I guess I can see why some people out there might be confused about the motivations.

[angry-geologist.livejournal.com]

Yes, because good sportsmanship and integrity at the highest level of competition is SUCH a GOOD psychological warfare strategy.

Fuck you, Chris Chase.