Michael Phelps is coming back ?

[jam pants]

He did break the world record for 200m fly at 15 years old. Hard to believe he'd be on PED's from that early age.

In swimming? It's very easy to believe, actually.

 

[The Hitch]

Considering actual doping experts have said doping is rife within sport (that more than half of Olympians dope) - http://www.dw.de/simon-all-sports-are-prone-to-doping/a-17391410 and considering the effect drugs have on athletes and considering that in the 1 sport that was actually thoroughly investigated for doping -1990's cycling, there was not a single.champion not heavily on drugs, it really is not a stretch to believe people like Phelps probably doped.

That's how science works. Some of you seem to think doping is an act that has absolutely 0 correlation with doping.

You want to talk about 0 evidence Robbie. There is absolutely 0 evidence that you are anything but out of your mind when you suggest that.

 

[Justinr]

Have to agree with people on here - The Clinic is exactly the place for speculation, claim, counter-claim, etc. if it wasn't then there wouldn't be many posts.

 

[Ferminal]

Thanks for the update.

 

[Ferminal]

In swimming? It's very easy to believe, actually.

There's only one path through the swimming system, and it starts early.

 

[Justinr]

I was thinking about this in the car today - retired sports star who has whooped all before him for a number of years comes back to compete. Hmmm - sound familiar?

 

[Afrank]

Cycling News advertises the Clinic as follows,

The Clinic
The Clinic is the only place on Cyclingnews where you can discuss doping-related issues. Ask questions, discuss positives or improvements to procedures.

There is absolutely no evidence period that Michael Phelps has ever doped, how can a thread about him relate to doping issues?

This thread is simply imaginative and manufactured gossip. Fiction. The basis for it has no validity what so ever.

To remind you, this is what Masking Agent alleged:

Did he and his doctors find the right PED and masking agent to allow for this ?
Do you think he already tested this new PED to see if it allows him to compete at a high level again ?

An opinion to have any validity at all is based on some reasonable basis of informed fact. In this thread there is none, just the usual Clinic B$ based on a news story about a top athlete returning to his sport.

Clinicians have this attitude because he is the most decorated summer Olympic athlete it is open season on the athlete to smear him with innuendo and speculation he has doped. You seem to support this kind of trash.

Now as an administrator if you cannot recognize this, you have to be blind. Your comment is irresponsible and you should consider resigning.

If the clinic as a whole upsets you this much, I again make the suggestion, don't even go into it. When I first joined the forum I didn't even bother with the clinic (not because it upset me, I just wasn't that interested in the doping aspect at the time). It wasn't that hard to avoid.

Much of the clinic as a whole is a place for speculation, if one poster wants to open a thread to discuss the possibility that Phelps or any other athlete doped than they should be free too. If there is nothing there to prove said doping like you think then the thread will soon fall from the front page, no action by the mods will be required.

My personal opinion is not that he doped or that he is clean. He may be doped, he may be clean, I don't know. But I do not refuse to see the possibility that Phelps doped as not valid in anyway. My comment is not irresponsible, it is neutral. Now back to the threads topic...

 

[Wallace and Gromit]

I was thinking about this in the car today - retired sports star who has whooped all before him for a number of years comes back to compete. Hmmm - sound familiar?

There's a couple of major differences, I'd say:

1 - Phelps is still relatively young. He's old for a swimmer, but there's no reason to think he'll be past it just because of his age, unlike Old Man Lance.

2 - I don't think Phelps has made too many enemies along the way, so no-one will be out to get him other than simply trying to beat him.

I think he's just bored and fancies the challenge. You might get bored of training - which is why most swimmers retire - but once that fades, the buzz of competition is hard to ignore. The odds suggest it won't be a long or particularly successful comeback.

 

[Ripper]

Cycling News advertises the Clinic as follows,

The Clinic
The Clinic is the only place on Cyclingnews where you can discuss doping-related issues. Ask questions, discuss positives or improvements to procedures.

There is absolutely no evidence period that Michael Phelps has ever doped, how can a thread about him relate to doping issues?

This thread is simply imaginative and manufactured gossip. Fiction. The basis for it has no validity what so ever.

To remind you, this is what Masking Agent alleged:

Did he and his doctors find the right PED and masking agent to allow for this ?
Do you think he already tested this new PED to see if it allows him to compete at a high level again ?

An opinion to have any validity at all is based on some reasonable basis of informed fact. In this thread there is none, just the usual Clinic B$ based on a news story about a top athlete returning to his sport.

Clinicians have this attitude because he is the most decorated summer Olympic athlete it is open season on the athlete to smear him with innuendo and speculation he has doped. You seem to support this kind of trash.

Now as an administrator if you cannot recognize this, you have to be blind. Your comment is irresponsible and you should consider resigning.

I again say, chillax!

As has been noted, many threads (and not just in the clinic) are started by speculation. This is an informal place of discussion, debate, etc. It's a friggin' niche internet forum! If you do not like what you see here, then don't tune in. Folks are entitled to their opinions whether you agree or not.

I honestly have no opinion about Phelps, as I no longer really even think about swimming. However, with the amount of doping that has been found as well as alluded to in swimming, I'd say that alone is enough to fuel speculative opinions in many minds.

Now, you've made your opinion on this thread clear, and it would appear that the mods do not share it. If you don't want to read anymore, then don't click on it

 

[Catwhoorg]

There's a couple of major differences, I'd say:

1 - Phelps is still relatively young. He's old for a swimmer, but there's no reason to think he'll be past it just because of his age, unlike Old Man Lance.

2 - I don't think Phelps has made too many enemies along the way, so no-one will be out to get him other than simply trying to beat him.

I think he's just bored and fancies the challenge. You might get bored of training - which is why most swimmers retire - but once that fades, the buzz of competition is hard to ignore. The odds suggest it won't be a long or particularly successful comeback.

I don't hang with any Olympic level swimmers, but a lot of good college level ones keep telling me just how dull the training is.

Hours in the pool, following a black line with no distractions.
On the bike, or running, at least you can look at the scenery.
Inside on the trainer or TM you can watch TV or something.

In the pool. Follow the line. Keep form.

Would drive me crazy.

 

[blackcat]

Swimmer seem to come out of retirement more than professional wrestlers.

To retire and come back sort of ruins the legacy imo.

john farnham

 

[perico]

I don't hang with any Olympic level swimmers, but a lot of good college level ones keep telling me just how dull the training is.

Hours in the pool, following a black line with no distractions.
On the bike, or running, at least you can look at the scenery.
Inside on the trainer or TM you can watch TV or something.

In the pool. Follow the line. Keep form.

Would drive me crazy.

Maybe Phelps can hire a certain Texan as his "comeback advisor." Next, he can liven his comeback up with the addition of the Chalkbot.

 

[blackcat]

The Yanks have not found anyone as responsive to PEDs as Phelps and the Chinese have shown they have defo got their athletes programs up and running.

damn straight. the 15yo femail medley swimmer in the 400IM

buckets as hands

 

[blackcat]

Besides his DUI and the Water pipe/bong incident...

I'm not aware of anything more than rumour and speculation.

Swimming is/was rife with PED's, and yes there is/was an omerta. So as an winner, with a remarkable record over many years, people will speculate.

Gary Hall Jnr also did weed. A good swimmer and weed go hand in hand

 

[Briant_Gumble]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnSePTB5UA0

He said he does eat whatever he wants in his autobiography, kind of contradicts what he says here as he makes out he's not overly conscious of it.

It probably is true that he doesn't eat anywhere near as much when he's not training but here he seems to make out he's really using a lot of Will power to starve himself.

 

[alanshearer]

If the clinic as a whole upsets you this much, I again make the suggestion, don't even go into it. When I first joined the forum I didn't even bother with the clinic (not because it upset me, I just wasn't that interested in the doping aspect at the time). It wasn't that hard to avoid.

Much of the clinic as a whole is a place for speculation, if one poster wants to open a thread to discuss the possibility that Phelps or any other athlete doped than they should be free too. If there is nothing there to prove said doping like you think then the thread will soon fall from the front page, no action by the mods will be required.

My personal opinion is not that he doped or that he is clean. He may be doped, he may be clean, I don't know. But I do not refuse to see the possibility that Phelps doped as not valid in anyway. My comment is not irresponsible, it is neutral. Now back to the threads topic...

If Phelps were represented by Martin Hardie, this thread would have long since been shut down. So if you want protection from wild accusations here, it's best that you're a third rate cyclist represented by a fourth rate dickwad.

By the way, the first post wasn't speculation, it was an accusation.

 

[DirtyWorks]

There is absolutely no evidence period that Michael Phelps has ever doped, how can a thread about him relate to doping issues?

One more time, any notion of "evidence of doping" fails in IOC sanctioned sport.
-Bio Passport is an IQ test designed, mostly, to not kill athletes using PED's.
-Anti-doping authorities are not required to open cases on positives.
-Anti-doping authorities have chosen not to open cases before.
-The IOC itself has advocated PED use and continues to be very accommodating to dopers who attract an audience.
-The IOC has an overwhelmingly negative reaction to doping controversy. Why would any sanctioning body do any differently?
-It's not doping unless you get caught.

All that said, is Michael Phelps the cleans? No clue.

 

[DirtyWorks]

If Phelps were represented by Martin Hardie, this thread would have long since been shut down.

Well, Martin was representing a sanctioned, "unnamed" athlete whose name was sprinkled ALL OVER google's cache of the interwebs. I believe the parent company of CN had an office in Australia too. Phelps isn't sanctioned.

Quite a big difference.

 

[Netserk]

You mean besides his massive HGH jaw?

I think we need some pictures.

Verdict: HGH abuser!

 

[alanshearer]

Well, Martin was representing a sanctioned, "unnamed" athlete whose name was sprinkled ALL OVER google's cache of the interwebs. I believe the parent company of CN had an office in Australia too. Phelps isn't sanctioned.

Quite a big difference.

The difference highlights the double standard.

Sanctioned athlete, whose name is easily obtainable, cannot be discussed here, even though solid evidence exists for both the doping violation and the sanction.

Cyclingnews moderator response -- delete all threads and posts mentioning his name.

Unsanctioned athlete is fair game, even though absolutely no evidence exists other than the fact that he was once at the top of a sport that has a doping problem, the degree of which is subject to debate. Oh, and he has a big jaw.

Cyclingnews moderator response -- if you don't like it, don't read the thread, but otherwise shut up.

 

[DirtyWorks]

The difference highlights the double standard.

You've made a mistake. The name was not given in "official" published procedure anywhere. It was unofficially many different places and some of them, for whatever reason, Mr. Hardie did not pursue.

No double standard.

 

[Afrank]

I've moved posts talking about the the purpose of the clinic and whether speculation is valid to the sidebar thread. Robbiecanuck, I'll respond to you a little later.

From here on out keep posts in this thread about Phelps coming out of retirement and the possibility of him doping (your free to argue he's clean Robbie, as long as it's in a calm and intelligent manner).

 

[RobbieCanuck]

I've moved posts talking about the the purpose of the clinic and whether speculation is valid to the sidebar thread. Robbiecanuck, I'll respond to you a little later.

From here on out keep posts in this thread about Phelps coming out of retirement and the possibility of him doping (your free to argue he's clean Robbie, as long as it's in a calm and intelligent manner).

How disingenuous of you! What a way to duck the issue. Shameful.

But I guess that is the CN way. Let speculation, gossip and innuendo replace constructive dialogue.

 

[Justinr]

I think we need some pictures.

Verdict: HGH abuser!

Not sure we can draw much from those - they look like they were taken about 10 years apart and the first when he was quite young so there is bound to be a big difference. Can you link to any others?

 

[bangnz]

His elbows are too pointy
He must be a user