October 12, 2008
The Flip Side
Watered down? Not this swimming event
So how much better would swimming be if Michael Phelps and Ian Thorpe could have kicked at each other beneath the surface while racing?
If they had competed in open water swimming, they just might have.
Open water takes the athletes out of the pool and into the ocean. And to hear the competitors tell it, open water also means they take the gloves off.
"It's a wrestling match in the water," American Mark Warkentin said.
"Just about anything goes, short of grabbing people," U.S. swimmer Scott Kaufmann said.
It sounds so tough, maybe they should be wearing boxing trunks instead of swim trunks.
At the world championships in Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday, another U.S. competitor, Chloe Sutton, 15, complained to coaches about being hurt by other swimmers during the 5-kilometer event.
The reply? "Well, hurt them back."
Sutton said: "I don't want to do that. Then they'll retaliate to my retaliation."
According to open water rules, swimmers actually aren't allowed to "infringe" on each other. Boat-riding judges police the action and - similar to soccer - flash yellow or red flags for infractions.
So, like in soccer, some swimmers might take a dive?
Mr. Flip is thinking more old school. If Eddie Murphy could return to reprise his Gumby character, who better than a Colt to take over Joe Piscopo's old role as Gumby's horse, Pokey?
Copyright © 2008, The Baltimore Sun
