[MTR_10]

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/336683


THE teenage Chinese swimming sensation who shaved an amazing five seconds off her personal best to win Olympic gold is not a drugs cheat, it was confirmed last night.

Suspicion surrounded Ye Shiwen’s sensational victory in the 400m medley after leading coaches and even BBC presenter Clare Balding cast doubt on her incredible feat.

But British Olympic Association chairman Lord Moynihan declared the 16-year-old “clean” after a series of drug tests.


Last night, after Ye won another gold in the 200m medley, in record time, the Chinese Olympic Association had yet to receive an apology over the original comments.

US coach John Leonard first raised eyebrows after saying Ye’s dazzling performance reminded him of the East German swimmers of the 1980s.

What do you think of this? The Americans seems to be convinced that she is a drugs cheat. Granted 5 seconds is a big improvement, but it does Look a little like a combination of double standards and sour grapes to me. I can only think that if an American athlete had done the same, we would all be talking about how amazing they were etc.

[ESPORTIVA]

Watch the movie: bigger stronger faster, i think most of you guys will be shocked. Steroids and performance enhancing drugs are always a big part of sports.

Oh and the term "inadvertent use" comes to mind (explained in detail in bigger stronger faster)

Oh and dont forget about HGH (human growth hormone) which i think cant be detected at the moment (or is too expensive to bother testing for), i think athletes would mainly use this.

You got to remember athletes will do anything for that edge over the competition, they are not knights in shining armour. If i was in the olympics i would be on something too.

[No Man]

It's stupid imo. Like Ian Thorpe said, you can improve by a lot when you're 15/16 in swimming and she doesn't look like she's on steroids either.

[roh]

(Original post by MTR_10)
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/336683


THE teenage Chinese swimming sensation who shaved an amazing five seconds off her personal best to win Olympic gold is not a drugs cheat, it was confirmed last night.

Suspicion surrounded Ye Shiwen’s sensational victory in the 400m medley after leading coaches and even BBC presenter Clare Balding cast doubt on her incredible feat.

But British Olympic Association chairman Lord Moynihan declared the 16-year-old “clean” after a series of drug tests.


Last night, after Ye won another gold in the 200m medley, in record time, the Chinese Olympic Association had yet to receive an apology over the original comments.

US coach John Leonard first raised eyebrows after saying Ye’s dazzling performance reminded him of the East German swimmers of the 1980s.

What do you think of this? The Americans seems to be convinced that she is a drugs cheat. Granted 5 seconds is a big improvement, but it does Look a little like a combination of double standards and sour grapes to me. I can only think that if an American athlete had done the same, we would all be talking about how amazing they were etc.

An American athlete has done a very similar thing. She's called Missy Franklin and there is a lot of talk in the American press about how brilliant she is.

Also, in 2000 the Americans had some kid called Michael Phelps did an amazing swim age 15. Not heard much of him since though.

[Joeman560]

Roids only take a month to get out of your system.

[TimHuak]

Drugs tests are not 100% reliable and it is not possible or practical to test for everything.

If this Chinese girl has taken something then it is likely her competitors have aswell. It is very unlikely she would be the only one.

[doggyfizzel]

A clean drugs test doesn't mean she has not taken drugs, it means they test hasn't detected any. New drugs, un testable drugs or an effective cycle can be missed by the testing.

The increase in her time, the timing of it, the fact that this year the super suits have been removed meaning her time is even more impressive, and the fact she is 16 so not at her physical peak. Means it either amazing, she's probably faster than Phelps was in 2008 for a women or she's cheating.

The idea that an athlete would use drugs or that a nation like Chinawould turn a blind eye to drugs use is hardly implausible.

[Norton1]

Is the sensation the sensation of filling yourself to the gunnels with Anabolic steroids?

[roh]

(Original post by doggyfizzel)
A clean drugs test doesn't mean she has not taken drugs, it means they test hasn't detected any. New drugs, un testable drugs or an effective cycle can be missed by the testing.

The increase in her time, the timing of it, the fact that this year the super suits have been removed meaning her time is even more impressive, and the fact she is 16 so not at her physical peak. Means it either amazing, she's probably faster than Phelps was in 2008 for a women or she's cheating.

The idea that an athlete would use drugs or that a nation like Chinawould turn a blind eye to drugs use is hardly implausible.

Supersuits have been gone a while and other WRs are going (2 more tonight in both 200m breasts). The 400 was never one that looked untouchable either, if she'd taken the 2:06.15 for the 200 I'd be more suspicious but she didn't look like threatening that in the race.

She's not in Phelps '08 form, she's in great form but only one other swimmer has ever been at near that level, maybe Thorpe in '01.

Agree with the last bit, but I don't think she's any more likely to be doped than other swimmers breaking records. China now doesn't do the trick of having swimmers emerge suddenly and vanish any more. Sun Yang's established as a star and the girl who won the 200 fly tonight, forget her name, was the silver medallist in Beijing at 16.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

The current olympic games don't test for genetic doping as it wont be introduced until 2014 winter games.

[doggyfizzel]

(Original post by roh)
Supersuits have been gone a while and other WRs are going (2 more tonight in both 200m breasts). The 400 was never one that looked untouchable either, if she'd taken the 2:06.15 for the 200 I'd be more suspicious but she didn't look like threatening that in the race.

She's not in Phelps '08 form, she's in great form but only one other swimmer has ever been at near that level, maybe Thorpe in '01.

Agree with the last bit, but I don't think she's any more likely to be doped than other swimmers breaking records. China now doesn't do the trick of having swimmers emerge suddenly and vanish any more. Sun Yang's established as a star and the girl who won the 200 fly tonight, forget her name, was the silver medallist in Beijing at 16.

The record set where set during the super suit era, that was the relevance. It makes her time even more impressive as wearing the same suit she would have swam even faster.

I didn't say say form I said speed, I don't think you would expect to see the form showed in all events at that age. Same reason Bolt isn't running the 400m, the stamina required. I wouldn't expect her to show the same speed across the events. At 16 however taking the world record, its not unrealistic for a Phelps like progression, he took his first world record at 15, the raw speed is clearly there and at 16 she is not fully physically developed or necessarily even finished growing.

I don't think its impossible, I do think its unusual. She is either a very special talent or a doper. Either way she's probably not alone in the games.

[roh]

(Original post by doggyfizzel)
The record set where set during the super suit era, that was the relevance. It makes her time even more impressive as wearing the same suit she would have swam even faster.

I didn't say say form I said speed, I don't think you would expect to see the form showed in all events at that age. Same reason Bolt isn't running the 400m, the stamina required. I wouldn't expect her to show the same speed across the events. At 16 however taking the world record, its not unrealistic for a Phelps like progression, he took his first world record at 15, the raw speed is clearly there and at 16 she is not fully physically developed or necessarily even finished growing.

I don't think its impossible, I do think its unusual. She is either a very special talent or a doper. Either way she's probably not alone in the games.

Ah OK, but she isn't the first. So far Men's 100 breast, 200 breast, 200 IM, 1500 free and women's 200 breast and 100 fly have gone down since the end of the supersuits. Of those only the men's 1500 wasn't a supersuit time and it looks likely others will go, including 200 back to go to an American 17 year old.

The speed is probably similar yeah, sadly hard to say because Phelps was in polyutherane in Beijing.

Hoping she's a special talent. I think the main way of telling will be if she disappears or not, which a lot of very fast very young Chinese swimmers have done in the past.

[mikiu15]

I think the suits are only making a small difference in her time.
Anyway from what I've read it's not her 400m time that is raising eyebrows, it's the last 100m split where she swam faster than Lochte, even though Lochte's time was second fastest in the history.
I myself find it bit suspicious that her first 300 was very fast for a woman's 400 IM but her last 100 was just out of this world. Moreover she's 16 and a woman whereas Lochte's 27, in top physical shape and a man.
Imagine if a 16 year old girl swam faster than Phelps the last 100 in a 400IM in Beijing, I think people would be asking serious questions.
Also on the subject of doping; there are always going to be new drugs that have yet to be discovered by the authorities so even though Ye Shiwen tested negative now, you never know what they might find in the next few years.

[Xotol]

(Original post by mikiu15)
I think the suits are only making a small difference in her time.
Anyway from what I've read it's not her 400m time that is raising eyebrows, it's the last 100m split where she swam faster than Lochte, even though Lochte's time was second fastest in the history.
I myself find it bit suspicious that her first 300 was very fast for a woman's 400 IM but her last 100 was just out of this world. Moreover she's 16 and a woman whereas Lochte's 27, in top physical shape and a man.
Imagine if a 16 year old girl swam faster than Phelps the last 100 in a 400IM in Beijing, I think people would be asking serious questions.
Also on the subject of doping; there are always going to be new drugs that have yet to be discovered by the authorities so even though Ye Shiwen tested negative now, you never know what they might find in the next few years.

The Lochte comparison has been a bit exaggerated. She may have swam faster than him in the last 100m, but a lot of the other male swimmers in the same race were faster than her over the same length. I don't think Lochte was going full there (or he's a slower final 100m swimmer than the rest). Still, she was slower than the male WR and Lochte's time by around 20 seconds.

Ultimately, she may just be a freak of nature in terms of swimming. It's not that unprecedented to have some extremely talented athletes that both handle and thrive under the pressure to continually record PB times, especially at a young age where it's easier to break your own times. It might be a bit suspicious, but she'll be innocent until proven guilty.

[Funky_Climber]

The words 'genetic' and 'manipulation' come to mind.

It's been done in animals so could be done in humans.

The myostatin deficient cow http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur...QEwAA&dur=2724

http://www.pnas.org/content/94/23/12457.long

[Studentus-anonymous]

It doesn't need to be doping, it's no secret Chinese culture and government afforded them a massive level of control over their people. With all that money, population and authority I wouldn't put it pass the Chinese being able to field some strong athletes.

Then again I wouldn't put it pass them to cheat.

[Ravel]

very easy to get roids out your system in time for a drugs test - the Olympics is only 3 weeks, even off roids, you would still have more than enough gains during that time to be impressive to the spectators.

At her age, I hardly think its soley genetics.

With the money china invest in trainers, doctors, and sports physicians I wouldent be suprised if they couldent fake a drugs test IMO

[Vorsah]

(Original post by roh)
An American athlete has done a very similar thing. She's called Missy Franklin and there is a lot of talk in the American press about how brilliant she is.

Also, in 2000 the Americans had some kid called Michael Phelps did an amazing swim age 15. Not heard much of him since though.

Well said, also no one said anything about Ruta Meilutyte only 15 years old.

Stuff like this just discourages athletes to perform their best and breaking the world record incase they get accused of cheating.

[pol pot noodles]

It's guilt by nationality really, she's only be accused of doping because she's Chinese. This performance by an American or European would be lauded. To be fair, China does have an awful record on female doping, especially in swimming, but on the other hand innocent until proven guilty.

[Sheep]

I dont think there's anything weird or wrong about his claims at all tbh

he wasn't angry or sour or anything he just politely raised the possibility that she might be using drugs because her performance was quite 'suspicious'

I actually watched that race and I have to admit it was kind of weird, she seemed even with everyone and then on the last lap she shot ahead at such a crazy rate and almost broke a world record I think