You make absolute statements and then try to give the impression of "fair and balanced". :)
I understand it's your opinion and your fully entitled to and also understand why Ye will be under suspicion (history) .
I am not an swimming or sports expert, I do have a kid used to swam in a club which produced gold medal swimmer for US.
I want to point out a few things might give you some food for thought:
1, "Every swim coach seems to think..."
well, here is one actually coached Ye:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-02/australian-coach-defends-ye-shiwen/4171050Bob Bowman who trained Phelps, didn't seem to be surprised at all:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/olympics/2012/07/31/fina-ioc-defend-chinese-swimmer.ap/index.html
I can find more comments from coaches on both sides, but I like to not think in absolute terms.
Most if not all Chinese elite swimmers are trained in Australia nowadays.
2, Her "unthinkable" time in last lap.
Did you know that Becky Adlington's last 50m of the 800m was also quicker than Lochte's,. Doping? no its ok, she swims for the Brits.
In the 8 man 400IM final, also there are at least 3 other men faster than Ye's in that last lap, Lochte was not even close be fastest in the last lap. If you know race strategies, you would know that's normal. How many times have you seen someone if way ahead in the first 100m and fall in 7th place when done? Lochte beat Ye way more than 20 seconds for the whole race!
Here is another example, the girl beaten by Ye around the same age and same event:
Elizabeth Beisel, (born August 18, 1992)
2006: 4:50.31
2007: 4:44.87 -5s!
2008: 4:32.87 -12s!
Ye Shiwenm, (born March 1, 1996)
2010: 4:33:79
2011: 4:35.78 +2s
2012: 4:28.43 -5s
Ian Thorpe, the great one before Phelps, said it's perfectly possible because he took 5 seconds of his time during the same age period.
3. If we start pointing fingers, the 15 year old girl who beat Soni in 100m breaststroke to win the gold had more percentage improve than Ye. And how about Missy Franklin. She swam 200M free and 10 minutes later, she swam won 100M back gold. Even Phelps was impressed and said he never had race that close in his life. She is absolutely my idol now, should I start wonder and doubt? never crossed my mind for second.
The bottom line is, do I know for sure she is not doping? NO. Neither do I know any others.
This is a very rare occasion, the media is actually not one-sided against China.
Just my $0.02.
Jun
>Guilty as hell. Maybe you are just feeling particularly Texan today.
>
>My feeling is Ye will be proven dirty, as every swim coach in the world seems to think, but I will back off half a step until it's proven.
>
>>Again, where's the proof? Accusations from another rider who wasn't clean and who's statements were later proven false? The French? Where's the blown tests?
>>
>>Unless you're going with the 'where there's smoke there MUST be fire' thought process, I'm not seeing how you can know 'Armstrong was guilty through years of denials'
>>
>>
>>>I really am not bringing any nationalism to this because I knew Armstrong was guilty through years of denials from him. AFAIK he's still denying it.
>>>
>>>>"I am a great believer in innocent until proven guilty. So let's say it looks very fishy."
>>>>
>>>>LOL thats quite clear then.
>>>>
>>>>Lets juts hope she's clean like Lance Armstrong :-)
