Disappointment, yet again
Today, Jessica Hardy withdrew from the Olympic team to continue her positive drug test appeal at a later date. Regardless of intent, this must be a terrible day for her. For all that I went through over the past month, her experience is certainly worse. But where does it all leave me, the third-place finisher behind Jessica? Not on the Olympic Team it seems.
USA swimming, citing trials criteria, has declined to add anyone to the team. However, I think that if you were to ask anyone at Trials what should happen if the first place finisher were to test positive for a banned substance, they would tell you that 3rd place would move up. Such is the culture of our sport. Not so today.
I’m frustrated and disillusioned. But most of all, I am saddened that the people and organizations that I gave a huge part of my life to couldn’t bring themselves to do the right thing. To make this situation right. I do not believe that the will to act could not have changed this situation.
It is clear that along this road, from the timing of trials, to the USADA testing, to who knew what on July 21st, to this last decision, errors were made. And at this point, no one in the leadership of our sport is acknowledging that. Or if any acknowledgment is made, it is an ever-circling blame game.
What disappoints me the most is that this may very well be my final taste of swimming. I’ll always take joy in the success of my friends and the girls that I mentored but it’s hard to imagine a time when my memories of swimming will not be flavored with the bitterness of this situation.
I’m not sure what I can do for myself. But I think that it is vitally important to make sure that something like this doesn’t happen again. I don’t think that change can occur without the acknowledgement that mistakes happened. But since no mistakes are being admitted to, that means that my fight is not over.
August 2nd, 2008 at 11:29 am
I have been watching this situation play itself out over the past week and a half just shaking my head. Having been involved with USA Swimming for the past 12 years as a parent of a swimmer I have been impressed most of the time by the willingness of the organization to ‘do the right thing’. But it this situation, the leadership, starting with the Executive Director on down, has been in denial and is hiding behind ‘the rules’ and the ‘established procedure’. It is cowardly and not the American way.
Tara, Lara and Amanda deserve to be on the Team. The lack of will to fight for what is the right thing to do is appalling. At a time when USA Swimming should be basking in the glow of one of the best Olympic teams they have ever fielded, the embrassment of having let down three of their elite swimmers tarnishes the moment. And it should, at least until the leadership admits the mistakes and makes a move to correct it. Admission of the mistake needs to come before the Games begin so we can move forward.
Tara, thank you for your blogs. You have been professional, vulnerable, and honest in the expressions of your feelings. You have the support of all of your fans, new and old. Whatever happens from here, please know that you have our respect. Best wishes going forward!
August 2nd, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Like the poster b4, I’ve been a swim parent and official for over 10 years. I’ve always admired the concern for the swimmer our sport has. I guess that is what makes this case so unbelievable. It seems inconceivable that a swimmer caught cheating can keep you and the other girls from the positions you earned. I am ashamed that our sports officials cannot see their way to fix this unfortunate situation. Our country and you especially deserve better. Good Luck in your endevours.
August 2nd, 2008 at 4:52 pm
As long time parents of elite level swimmers, we certainly share and support your concerns. It is inconceivable to think that there was/is no policy in place regarding the timing of trials, training camp, finalizing Olympic roster and drug testing. Call us CRAZY, but wouldn’t being named to the Olympic team be contingent on PASSING the drug test. WHY, in heavens name would you name the team without knowing results. Our guess is IF Jessica learned this news on 21 July, the POWERS that be, knew or had heard of this MINIMALLY the afternoon before. Not likely, that Jessica’s was the LAST test completed on the morning of the 21st. Naming alternates at the very HINT of a problem, just seems like the BEST preventative measure, plan for the best, but be prepared for the worst….particularly with imminent deadlines. Everyone benefits, the TEAM as well as Tara, Lara and Amanda from the appropriate action!!!!!! . It is ridiculous to think that NOT ONE PERSON, had the wherewithal to act in the best interests of EVERYONE both ON and OFF the Olympic roster. Morale for everyone, including those on the team, would benefit! For they each know that anyone one of them could VERY EASILY have been in either Jessica, Tara, Lara or Amanda’s shoes! And each will want reassurance that this will NEVER happen again. Our thoughts are with Jessica, as she deals with this nightmare. The nightmare for USA Swimming has just begun! Tara, your honest and heartfelt words are touching many, not just in the swim world. USA swimming, wants you to quietly walk away, DON’T do it! Sometimes it takes a powerful force to make change, YOU can do this!
NEVER NEVER forget, your accomplishments and contributions, they are yours and ours forever!
August 2nd, 2008 at 6:49 pm
This siuation is ridiculous. R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S!!!!!!!!!!! That is all I have to say about it.
Tara, thank you for your honest and respectful assessment of it. I wish the swimming world and the world in general had more good people like you.
August 2nd, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Tara,
My heart goes out to you right now. I can’t even begin to imagine what you are going through. I swam for 15 years, never to the level of you…I have been following you for a long time. And although I do not know you, I don’t think you should give up and walk away like this (with reference to retiring).
I think you should take some time away from the sport and see how you feel afterwards. I think, in 4 years, you could end this the way it should be. Not to show Megan for the cocky comments she made, or US swimming, or anyone else for that matter but yourself.
I was in a really bad car accident in college and was told I would never walk without a limp again, and never swim. Well I thought to myself, this is not how I want it to end. I want it to end on my terms, not something or someone elses.
Take the time you need to heal. Enjoy life…but end this the way YOU want for YOU. I know you can do it!
)
August 2nd, 2008 at 8:40 pm
This situation is disgusting and USA Swimming should be ashamed.
Tara you/we should start a huge write-in campaign to reverse this — very public, very loud.
Let me know whom we should address this to and I’ll jump in.
The value of the campaign would not only be getting you folks on the team (i know how unlikely that is) but to get USAS to reverse policy publically so this NEVER happens again.
Team should be contingent on passing tests like these, period.
August 3rd, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Tara:
This is really a miscarriage of justice. I’m really sad for you because there is no logic in the decision made to keep you off the team. A woman that won was caught cheating. Had she not been swimming in the event you would have finished third and qualified. The Olympic committee strips a cheater of their medals and exchanges silver for gold, bronze for silver and awards the fourth place finisher the bronze. Good logic.
Don’t give up. You weren’t a quitter, and you set a fine example for other student athletes at Bremerton H.S. This is only one of many disappointments that will happen in your lifetime. Learn from it and it will make you stronger. If what you want is worth anything, its worth fighting for. Good luck in whatever decision you make. (Your former Superintendent of Schools).
August 3rd, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Tara -
It is fruitless to attempt to give you peace. I won’t. But I will provide a different perspective than you might receive otherwise, and leave the merits of it to your judgment.
In talking about this situation with a dear friend and mentor who turns 100 on November 10th and was the former Dean of Admissions at Stanford, his response was, “Stanford athletes are recruited not just for their physical ability, but for their character.”
I think you’re losing sight of where the blame rests. Any bureaucratic organization requires policies and procedures to function effectively. If you doubt that, try starting, growing and running one. It is extremely difficult to anticipate every possible eventuality and have a system in place to handle it. To do so would require knowing the future. That’s tough to do.
There are only two circumstances where you would be on the Olympic team, as you deserve to be:
#1: Future funding for USA Swimming and FINA was contingent upon it
#2: Jessica played fair
The first is a moot point. The second deserves close attention.
One plausible explanation for what occurred is that Jessica was not doing well. She took a performance-enhancing drug with a detect-life of 35-40 hours. She got caught at the later end of the time frame. As the clock is black-and-white, so is a drug test.
Had Jessica played fair, you would have beaten her in the pool. As it was, even with a performance enhancing drug in her system, she still was only able to beat you by a hundredth of a second. The issue is not about what happened afterwards. The only issue with any lasting impact, as I see it, is your character, and Jessica’s lack of it.
Jessica will appeal. She will lose. To overturn the appeal would be to invalidate the system of testing. She cheated, and was caught. She shamed Cal, USA swimming, her family, friends, and most of all, herself. She took a shortcut. She did not earn it, as you did. The blame and responsibility is on her.
There is a reason why no system was in place to deal with this. It’s never happened before. Because it happened, USA Swimming has to face the integrity of the sport and the reason for its existence being called into question. In light of that, you are not that important. They have far more significant matters and concerns on their hands. Plus, even if they did have a system in place, their hands are tied by FINA.
Again, you’re losing perspective. It’s not about a hundredth of a second by someone who cheated. Races are not won or lost the day of the meet. They are won or lost during practice. You have worked incredibly hard for nearly two decades. No one did the work for you. No one gave you a scholarship to Stanford. You earned it.
Ten years from now, let’s say you’re a lawyer arguing a case before the judge. Will you be able to say, “I went to Stanford. In the race to make the Olympic swimming team, someone who cheated touched the wall a hundredth of a second before me. There wasn’t enough time based on the existing policies of the governing bodies of the sport to be on the team as I rightfully should have been, and I didn’t control future funding for those agencies, so I should win this case.” Heavens no. You’ll want to argue the case based on your knowledge and preparation and work, and be considered for the merits of your intellect and acuity.
For looking back with a bittersweet feeling on your career, are you kidding me? Come on. You put yourself through one of the finest institutions of learning on the planet. You kept your character, honor and integrity. The passion, relentless dedication, commitment and pursuit to improve that you have evinced in reaching this point will flow through to whatever you choose to do going forward. If you think a clock is brutal, wait till you participate in the marketplace. You’ll see what brutal is. But you’ll be prepared to face it, and excel, because of your character. That, and that only, is what matters, because everything you are and everything you will do stems from that.
Congratulations on a tremendous career, and an outstanding record of consistent, proven accomplishment and achievement. I am proud that you’re an alum. Because of your character, I will remain that way. More importantly, so will you.
Hartwell
August 3rd, 2008 at 4:30 pm
“She shamed Cal, USA swimming, her family, friends, and most of all, herself.”
Nice dig at Cal there, Hartwell. Hardy left Cal a few years ago. Just couldn’t resist, huh? It would be more accurate to say she shamed USC at this point, though I think that is a stretch.
Anyway, Tara, best wishes to you. The timing of everything is so suspect. Someone (most likely more than one) at the top is guilty of either something scandalous or grossly negligent. And the fact that they are not even contacting those so intimately affected by these events is shocking.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Tara -
Have had some more time to process this. What has been happening to you is wrong. I think I have a way to make it right.
With regards to, “I’m not sure what I can do for myself,” the Games start 8.8.08. Have you considered doing the following:
1. hop on the first flight to Beijing. If no commercial flighs are available, arrange for a charter.
2. inform USA Swimming and FINA that you are on your way to be with the team and to participate in the events for which you rightfully qualified
3. have Lea or someone ask Stanford to prepare a press release that you are going to the Games
4. Hold off on having Stanford send that press release until USA Swimming and FINA have had a chance to arrange for you to participate on the team. They gave Jessica a choice to handle the situation gracefully, and might appreciate the opportunity to do so themselves.
5. If USA Swimming refuses to arrange for you to represent your country as you have earned, contact the SJ Mercury news representative covering the Games (you might want to include Elliott Almond on this, who has already reported on this for the Mercury News), and any other media representatives including CNN, NBC, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNBC, the Washington Post, the New York Times, et al. Let them know the exact time and date that you intend to report to the Athlete’s Village, so they can be there to record when USA Swimming causes one of their own team members to be denied admittance to the Games.
6. Have Dana or someone contact all local members of Congress and the Senators from California and Washington. Ask them to communicate about this with USA Swimming.
7. If you are willing to go to Beijing, please let me know. A classmate of mine and his wife worked in Washington for much of the current administration. I will ask them to see if the Office of the President can become involved here. If you will be physically in Beijing and therefore able to swim for your country, I will do this, and do it gladly.
It used to be that the American public would support someone who took a stand for what is right. It may still be that way. It will take you going to Beijing, though, for this to happen.
Give USA Swimming and FINA another chance to make this right. Go to Beijing. Gain the peace of knowing you did everything you could.
Let me know your decision.
Thanks,
Hartwell
August 4th, 2008 at 10:07 am
I agree w/ previous poster. Go to Beijing and make them do what is right. I believe it is the only way for America to realize the terrible injustice and force USOC to do what is right. America will be proud os you. The only way to make them do the right thing is to shame them by being there and being personally refused the spot you earned. If proper attention brought to this, I think you will on team B4 wheels fdown in Beijing. Good luck.
August 4th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Tara - Only you know what you can and are willing to do now. Going to Beijing publicly would clearly force USA Swimming and FINA’s hand at a time when they just want you to go away quietly. Going to Beijing may also put people close to you, e.g. Lea, in a tough position. By ’standing up’ to USA-S in such a public way may be difficult.
You have a righteous position and you are able to call on alot of us, who are frustrated by the bureaucratic individuals in charge, to help you do something which would at best get you on the Team and at a minimum insure that this will not happen again. We support you and Lara and Amanda being named to your rightful place on the Team. Let us know! A smart man once said, “Be the change you want to see”
August 4th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Does the Rainer Schuettler (tennis player who they let in Olympics) case offer any hope - I know it is not a direct parallel but perhaps it does:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/wires/08/04/2070.ap.as.oly.ten.schuettler.cas/
Keep fighting - petition, legal option, PR, etc. I may be naive but there is still hope - there is a lot of uncharted waters with doping and protecting innocent athletes - perhaps there is an opening in there somewhare.
Support you 100 percent
August 4th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
The previous poster is on to something! If Rainier Schuettler can get in, Tara, Lara and Amanda can as well. It will require an immediate petition to CAS and it seems they will make a quick decision. Give USA-S a chance to do the right thing (to date they have not) and, as Hartwell suggests, go directly to Beijing and petition CAS, who have set-up ‘emergency’ hearings in Beijing!
Do you know what are Lara and Amanda thinking? Would they want to participate? Time, clearly, is passing and it seems USA-S is hoping the door closes before any action is taken. I am back in the situation I described in my first post, shaking my head.
Good luck going forward!
August 4th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
These posters are so right. I am convinced the only way to bring the appropriate attention to this matter is to go to Beijing. Make them refuse you with the whole world watching. There is no way America will not stand behind you all. You owe it to yourself, and your country. Looking forward to seeing you on deck.
August 5th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Tara-
As a parent who is involved with a year round swimmer, I am disappointed with the procedures that have transpired since the Trials. I can not believe that Jessica’s results were not known prior to July 21st. Whether Jessica knowingly took a banned substance or she had the misfortune of being a victim of a tainted supplement; either way she is out of the Olympics and has to confront the issue in front of her.
It is only logical and in the best interest of our sport and USA Swimming for them to allow you, Lara and Amanda join the team. For them to draw a line in the sand on the “final team” the same day that a positive drug result was announced is not right.
Either way, I hope that USA Swimming’s future procedures dictate that individuals will only make the Olympic team officially if they pass all drug tests from the Trials.
All three of you have earned the right to be on the team. I wish you the best!
August 5th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Hi Tara,
I have great admiration and respect for how you have withstood this situation with grace but firm conviction. I watched you at trials when you missed the team by 1/100th. I swam in the ‘84 trials in the 100 and 200 Breast. Though I was a world class swimmer, I was well off the mark to make the team. I made a special point after your race to explain to my twenty year-old daughter how unforgiving this sport can be; yet, we all love it and we are willing to take the risks for a shot at glory. Only athletes can fathom the commitment of years of training for a single shot every four years to achieve something truly great.
You lost your bid with grace and dignity, the true mark of a champion. You have proved to be a great champion for which, in the truest sense, the mark of a champion is not seen in victory but in defeat. A true champion will pick herself up in the deepest moment of dispair and rise again. I am telling you this because I believe you can rebound and be a champion again! Your heart is huge!
USA Swimming has always been fair and I loved the sport because there is no ambiguity. It is math after all and math never lies….. or does it? It seems for the past 25 years I have lived in a bubble, always promoting the sport I love to be fair and equitible. What a lie!!!!! A lie, lie, lie. As a result of this crime, I have a completely different opinion of these “fat cat” officials of USA Swimming. I sat there in Omaha and watched them celebrated as if they were rock stars with music, name announcements etc. There were so many of them, they clogged the decks with their false sense of importance. In light of this grave injustice, I can view them as nothing more than low life opportunists out for free trips and a chance to be near the likes of hundreds of great athletes. They failed to accomplish the minimum requirement of their respective jobs. They were tasked to guarantee fairness in the world of swimming at the most important event, the UNITED STATES OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS.
Please continue with grace and decency to carry the torch for this very important cause. THIS CAN NEVER, NEVER, NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN TO ANOTHER ATHLETE!!!!! I am sad and disgusted with Mark Schubert. Perhaps his day of glory as the Olympic Coach has come and gone. He failed you miserably and above all, I consider him most responsible. He needs to go away and let someone with energy and a basic sense of right and wrong take over to support the athletes. He has been reduced to nothing more than another loser coach out for a free trip to be near the greatest athletes in the world. In failing one, Tara Kirk, he failed us all past and present. I have never met you and I can say I will never forget what they have done.
Peace and love to you Tara! You are a superstar and you have a generation of old and new breaststrokers behind you 1000%!!!!!!!
August 5th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Just read up on the FINA doping control rules. DC 9 states “an anti doping rule violation in conjunction with an In-Competition test AUTOMATICALLY leads to disqualification of the individual result obtained in the event with all resulting consequences, including forfieture of any medals points or prizes. and DC10.1 seems to state that the meet committee can DQ from all preceeding or following events. This would seem clear that on July 21, Jessica Hardy was not a 1st or 2nd place finisher, at least in the July 4th event, and could have been DQd from her others. I think the rules seem to refer to appeals about the manditory FUTURE sanctions, not the actual events the test was positive for. Since the results of these events got her a place on the team, she was automatically DQd by the 21st and should never have been named, on the 21st USA Swimming was obligated to remove her from the team and move up the 3rd place swimmers. Go to Beijing and take your rightful place on our team. I know that no money could take the place of an Olympic swim, but, sue the hell out of them. The coaches comments today are so much BS and empty platitudes. Show America what a buch of idiots are in charge of our great team. A young man who swam with our team made the Olympic team. Our families joy at watching him go for Gold are now tempered with my utter disgust over how this situation has played out. I wish more people paid attention to stories like this, you’d be in Beijing now.
Good luck.