Is she, or isn't she ?

[smutchin]

testing has reached such a level now that any athlete would be mad to try.

You need to read David Millar's book. See if you feel the same afterwards.

d.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Everyone down a shot.

d.

***yawn***

 

[smutchin]

Fair point though, isn't it?

Chinese athlete puts in a good performance and is accused of doping - down a shot
Someone trots out the "innocent until proven guilty" line - down a shot

Yes, I agree, it is extremely tiresome.

d.

 

[Thomk]

Her accusers should be ashamed of themselves. There is no evidence against her at all, not even a tiny bit. I know very little about swimming but I do know a bit about evidence based mathematics. You cannot point a finger at a successful athlete and cite that as evidence of cheating any more than you can point to a lottery winner and say they've cheated because the odds against them winning were so high. There are athletes outside the normal distribution (Bolt for instance), that will happen normaly every now and again and is no reason to hound a young girl. It smacks of ignorance, envy and spite.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Fair point though, isn't it?

Chinese athlete puts in a good performance and is accused of doping - down a shot
Someone trots out the "innocent until proven guilty" line - down a shot

Yes, I agree, it is extremely tiresome.

d.

you're welcome to put forward an alternative premise....

 

[smutchin]

There is no evidence against her at all, not even a tiny bit.

As always, the Science Of Sport bloggers are well worth reading if you want a rational, level-headed analysis of the available facts...
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2012/07/london-day-2-quick-thoughts.html

d.

 

[smutchin]

you're welcome to put forward an alternative premise....

Anyone who is genuinely interested in this subject should read the Science Of Sport blog. And David Millar's book. That is my only serious contribution to this thread. Beyond that, I reserve my right to be whimsical and cynical.

d.

 

[gambatte]

They say yes, she did swim faster in the last 50m than the male event winner. However he put the effort in at the start of the race and was slowing at that point, whereas she sped up in the last 75m. Different race tactics.
She also swam the last 50m slower than some of the male competitors who were chasing gold.

 

[Thomk]

Anyone who is genuinely interested in this subject should read the Science Of Sport blog. And David Millar's book. That is my only serious contribution to this thread. Beyond that, I reserve my right to be whimsical and cynical.

d.

So do I and I am probably more than most. But she should not be accused in this way as there is no evidence that she has cheated. The stats put forward so far is not evidence.

 

[smutchin]

she should not be accused in this way as there is no evidence that she has cheated.

It's possible to make inferences from the available data relating to an individual performance; whether that constitutes evidence depends on the jurisdiction. More than one way to skin a cat. Or catch a doper.

From reading the SoS blog, I'd agree that in this instance it seems the US swimming coach is leaping to some conclusions for which he has no evidence.

d.

 

[DiddlyDodds]

When i first heard the story it sounded odd she has gone so fast BUT then I heard she only broke the world record by 1 second ,, so who was it that set the record before and was she subjected to a tirade of doping allegations.

As Wiggins said , don’t sit on your arses implying years of dedicated training day in day out don’t mean nowt , must have doped ,, its disgraceful what is being said

That said she was probably on the Chinese Pop without knowing it, just like the east Europeans have been for ever.

but hey! i am sat rather comfortably with a nice Hob Nob Chocolate biscuit as i say it.

 

[soulful dog]

From that sports blog smutchin linked to, the big suspicion is that she is only 16 years old, and has improved her time in the event by 7 seconds since last year's World Championships where she finished fifth in 4:35.

Of course people are suspicious, that seems a huge improvement?

But then what do I know about swimming.... and it was interesting to hear one of the British swimmers (I *think* it was Hannah Miley) talk about how it's a young persons sport, and how the youngsters teach her a thing or two - she's 22.

 

[gambatte]

Interview at dinnertime was saying how Adrian Moorhouse bettered his PB by over 4 seconds in one season

 

[lordloveaduck]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-19062639

China swimmer Ye Shiwen clean, says BOA boss Moynihan

Told you so

 

[smutchin]

Alison Schmitt (USA) just won her race by an enormous margin. She must be doping, right?