As Victor's letter makes clear, this is not an easy issue. Here are a couple of additional factors that bear on the issue:

1. Victor (and other Olympic-track triathletes from the U.S.) have been funded for the past four (or more) years primarily with funds from the USOC. The USOC has been very plain about what it wants in return (medals) . . . so when Libby Burrell designs a plan to maximize the chances of medals for the U.S., she is doing precisely she has been charged to do by the entity paying the bills.

2. Most athletes who compete on the first day or two of a particular Games do not march in the opening ceremony; the risk of compromising their performances is just too high. In 2000, for example, triathlon was on the first and second days of the Games, and almost no triathletes participated in the opening ceremonies.

3. This time around, however, with triathlon near the end of the Games, it is unlikely that participation in the opening ceremonies alone would have any significant effect on performance.

4. On the other hand, it is expensive as heck to stay in Greece during these Games. I'm not sure the USOC would pay full ride for athletes who wanted to march in the opening ceremonies, but didn't compete until the end of the Games. And if the USOC isn't paying, the tariff would be pretty steep for an individual national federation (especially one like USAT, which just farmed out 15% of its reserves to a bunch of lawyers).

5. Plus, the Athens area is reputedly a lousy place to train on the bike. If you attend the opening ceremony, how do you keep your fitness until it's time to race?

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Lew

Do you suppose that security is an issue?

Yeah, great guy from Cali is the primary target of terrorist. I feel for Victor. Participation is what the Olympics are about. How much speed are they going to gain in a camp right before the event? Zip. Is it better for the athlete to be home with his feet up, probably, but then what is the off-setting lift of being part of the experience. That has to be a rush that would factor positively into one's performance.

So much for thinking about the athletes. Once again it's all about the federations.

That would be VERY disappointing for me, if I was on the team. Regardless if they told me or not. It still blows.

Lew, please excuse my ignorance, but is it being suggested that two members of the team will be asked or forced to work for the third? The athletes had to qualify as individuals, then once they do, are told to sacrifice their Olympic race so someone else can win. It doesn't seem right.

Hypothetically, what happens if Hunter is the desiginated leader but it's Andy or Victor having the 'great' day? Who gets the nod for the women, Barb or the World Champ, Sheila?

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Shawn
TORRE Consulting Services, LLC
http://www.TORREcs.com

Good point, but isn't that one of the major issues with draft legal bike racing. Teams, and yes this is a US team competing at the Olympics need to pick a "captin" and the members work for that person, with the run being a hell bent race for each over the last couple Ks.

I don't know much about team stage bike racing like TDF, but does'nt this issue arise every year, when someone on the team gets pissed and thnks they sould be the designated "golden boy".

Seems to me to be part of the price of draft legal tris and stage bike racing, giving of ones self for the good of the team.

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http://www.clevetriclub.com

rob reddy

Victor should be well used to the team concept, being a member of Team Kinesys. He has had guys sacrifice for him and it got him a spot on the Olympic Team. It really ought to be his turn to sacrifice for his new team...TEAM USA.

If it's a team event then the whole team gets a gold medal if one of the crosses the line first. Oh, only one person gets a gold? How's that a "team" event?

I guess just because there's great training to be had on Lanzarote, Mallorca, or in the south of France doesn't mean our athletes need to be there, when they could be in scenic Clermont.
Did they ever hear of northern Italy? Austria? It's about a 1hr. flight!
I'd vote them extra money if they'd hire a person to actually do some thinking.
-bobo
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"What's good for me ain't necessarily good for the weak-minded."

does LANCE'S TEAM GET TO ALL WEAR THE YELLOW JERSEY AND BE CROWNED THE TDF CHAMP?

NO WAY HE COULD DO IT ALONE.

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http://www.clevetriclub.com

rob reddy

I have some first-hand knowledge on this one and your sarcasm is off base. The decision was reached after a great deal of thought and LOTS of input from the athletes. And the option of a European base WAS considered at length, but the top athletes wanted to stay at home (in the U.S.) as long as possible.

Northern Italy may sound romantic, but it's August over there - have you ever tried to vacation in Southern Europe in August? Plus, Clermont actually has a lot going for it as a place to prepare for Athens. You want hot, which Athens in August will be? Clermont has that. You want hilly roads to bike, which the Olympic course will have in spades? Clermont has that. You want a great 50 meter pool to in which to train and priority for any hours you might want? Clermont has that. You want the best physical therapists at your beck and call? The national training center has that. Nearby major airport? Orlando International is 30 minutes away. You want a comfort zone, where people speak your language (do they still speak English in the bayous?) and you can get food you recognize? Far as I know, Clermont is still in the U.S. of A.

Actually, the biggest dilemma was not whether the camp should be in Clermont or Mallorca . . . but whether there should even be a camp at all. Some of the top athletes wanted to stay at their home base until the day before flying to Athens. Libby chose the middle course, opting for team building in a comfort zone . . . but criticism was a foregone conclusion, no matter what her ultimate decision.

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Lew

Being "forced" to work for another member of the U.S. team won't happen, at least this time around. And though there may be some discussion about voluntarily "helping" another team member under certain circumstances, this will happen only when it's a matter of self-interest. The best example is of course Barb and Sheila, whose individual chances go up significantly when they work together. They will in fact work together in Athens, but not because they were "ordered" to do so; they'll do it because it's the best strategy for each of them individually.

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Lew

I sit corrected.

I suspect though that the Aussies will be training closer to Salon de Provence than to Queensland.

-bobo

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"What's good for me ain't necessarily good for the weak-minded."

of course not, but even if it's not in the rules, all TdF winners split the prize money equally among teammates to show that it was indeed a team effort.

Ridiculous? It sounds like a good way to protect your investment.

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"your horse is too high" - tigerchik

It appears to me that you are looking at it from an economical point of view while Wednesday reacted on a more philosophical degree (you know, the Coubertin thingy...)

The difference is that the USPS riders are doing a job they were hired to do- help Lance to win the Tour. Period. That's the job description. I'm assuming that there was no such disclaimer on olympic qualifying spots. I'm sure that everyone battling for a spot on the olympic team has dreams of gold in Athens, not dreams of being a draft mule so that someone else can win gold.

and WHY ARE YOU YELLING AT ME :-)

missing the opening ceremony happens to quite a few athletes that compete in the first days. But I don't think that this will hurt the athletes whose competition is a later in the Games. In my opinion, a transcontinental flight within a week of your top race can hurt your performance more. I flew from the US to Europe a couple of times. On some occasions I would swim PRs within a couple days of the arrival; other times, the transcontinental was simply too much. It's an individual thing and can vary.

Keeping the athletes from the Olympic site might be a valid reason in terms of optimizing pre race training and maximize their race performance. But why not travel to Europe, get adjusted to the time and train in a place close by. I mean Europe is small. Someone already mentioned Italy, France, etc.

Let's hope USAT and/or UOC has enough money and the athletes can stay additional days and enjoy the closing ceremony.

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�The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.� -Michelangelo

MoodBoost Drink : Mood Support + Energy.

Now, now. You are not thinking like a bureaucrat. My guess is the USAT coach(es) have their wives/pets/whatever installed in Clermont and thus that is the training site chosen. It's also cheaper....

...another example of the commercialization of the Olympics. Like Shaq preferring to play NBA Live on the nintendo instead of representing the USA. This should be a lifelong dream fullfilled for the athletes, at least they should have the OPTION to attend the opening ceremonies.

"Yeah, but they signed the contract agreeing to this last year..." ever hear of an ADHESION CONTRACT? You think this guy had a chance to cross out this particular passage in the contract and still compete in the race? It was either accept 100% of these bullshit terms or not compete. Period. What else was he going to do?

Well, as a draft-legal event, the Olympic Tri format stinks anyway and will likely be removed as an event in the next 8 years or so. Like that Soviet moto-ball thing a while back (wasn't that a ridiculous sport, now?).

My idea for the Olympic Tri, the cycling events, bob-sledding, etc: why not reduce the advantages of money/equipment and give all these folks THE SAME STANDARD EQUIPMENT (or build to standard specs, anyway). That would give a triathletes from poorer nations a chance and be a hell of a lot more fun to watch. Watching track cycling, it seems that how many millions the sponsoring government/corporation spent on the bike is more important than the athlete him/herself. Like a jockey on a horse or something --yeah, they matter, but it's the horse that counts. Ok, that was OT and I'm rambling... back to work...

"Now, now. You are not thinking like a bureaucrat. My guess is the USAT coach(es) have their wives/pets/whatever installed in Clermont and thus that is the training site chosen. It's also cheaper...."

Such cynicism. Truth is, however, that Libby Burrell is a native South African and has neither pet nor family anywhere near Clermont.

" . . . Well, as a draft-legal event, the Olympic Tri format stinks anyway and will likely be removed as an event in the next 8 years or so. Like that Soviet moto-ball thing a while back (wasn't that a ridiculous sport, now?)."

It may stink to you (though it's a bit of a mystery why this format stinks, while the draft-legal format of the Tour de France is so revered), but its place in the Games is pretty darn secure. Don't know if you have been paying attention for the past 15 years, but triathlon was groomed as a replacement for modern pentathlon - and as recent actions of the IOC make clear, that plan is still on track. Beijing is likely to be the last time you'll see MP.

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Lew

Hello Lew,

Just curious, I thought that any athlete gets to stay in Athens free from start to finish if they choose. Your letter made it sound like the countries federations have to foot the bill. Just curious and say hi to Sheila and karen from me.



Thanks,

Shawn T

I e-mailed Libby with your question. She says that you are right: as long as you stay in the Olympic village, your expenses are covered in full. Problem for triathlon was that the venue for that sport is a two-hour drive away, and because USOC considers U.S. triathletes as prime contenders for medals, they wanted U.S. triathletes to stay much closer to the actual venue to maximize their chances. So USOC and USAT spent a lot of time working on the best plan for the U.S. triathlon team, and USOC kicked in to make it happen.

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Lew

I swam with a woman that placed fourth in her event on the second or third day of the at the LA Games and was back home training for US Nationals less than 36 hours later. I thought she was crazy not to spend the whole two weeks there, but maybe that kind of dedication to training is why she did as well as she did.

But, competing in the Olympics is the highlight of a lifetime, and it's a real shame that the athletes can't march in opening ceremonies and stay in the Olympic Village for the whole time. There are certainly missing something significant by doing it any other way even if it improves their chances at medals.

Here's how I read between the lines in his letter. . .

Words, words, words

I don't respect my coaches

words, words, words

I know best how to compete in the Olympics

More words

I am just here to participate an am not interested in a medal

words, words, words

The whole team should revolve around me

Some more words

I air my team's dirty laundry in public

Some more words

I am sure he is a great guy, but he needs to grow up and respect his coaches and teammates.