Monty - you seem to be forgetting that I was in favor of the 8% rule. And nobody is saying that athletes need to be actors.\\
No i did not forget, you were just wrong on that issue. Well maybe wrong is too strong, let us say the the majority of opinions were contrary to yours, and the pressure from most the pros got the rule changed. That is how i look at Melissa's statement here, she is making her point in the only way that ironman hears, by overt action against a rule that i would guess that most the pros are against. Perhaps you are going against the tide once again.
And I did not say that athletes should become actors, just that the system in place forces them to that extreme, or do what Melissa is doing here and take the heat for it. My hope is that more pros would come out and support her, just like with the 8% rule and the other rules ironman just forced down the pros throats without any consulting of the actual people those rules affect.
I respect that you have a different opinion, I just do not agree at all with that position. Bennett may or may have not sandbagged, if he did i would have respected him more if he had come out like Melissa and just said how silly this paper valadation really is.
Lastly, I think it is ok to let in the 1/2 and 515o champions, we have so few real big names in the sport, i think it is good to get them all together at one venue. It used to be that pros did all the distances all year long, and it was good for the sport i believe. Just look at all the hype already associated with Bennett and other champions doing hawaii for the 1st time. I'm sure WHitfield would get the same hype if he were to validate too. Personally i will enjoy seeing them at hawaii and what they can do. With this crazy qualifying process they have in place now, things like them racing would never happen.
No i did not forget, you were just wrong on that issue. Well maybe wrong is too strong, let us say the the majority of opinions were contrary to yours, and the pressure from most the pros got the rule changed. That is how i look at Melissa's statement here, she is making her point in the only way that ironman hears, by overt action against a rule that i would guess that most the pros are against. Perhaps you are going against the tide once again.
And I did not say that athletes should become actors, just that the system in place forces them to that extreme, or do what Melissa is doing here and take the heat for it. My hope is that more pros would come out and support her, just like with the 8% rule and the other rules ironman just forced down the pros throats without any consulting of the actual people those rules affect.
I respect that you have a different opinion, I just do not agree at all with that position. Bennett may or may have not sandbagged, if he did i would have respected him more if he had come out like Melissa and just said how silly this paper valadation really is.
Lastly, I think it is ok to let in the 1/2 and 515o champions, we have so few real big names in the sport, i think it is good to get them all together at one venue. It used to be that pros did all the distances all year long, and it was good for the sport i believe. Just look at all the hype already associated with Bennett and other champions doing hawaii for the 1st time. I'm sure WHitfield would get the same hype if he were to validate too. Personally i will enjoy seeing them at hawaii and what they can do. With this crazy qualifying process they have in place now, things like them racing would never happen.