GEORGE BOVELL, A bronze medalist in the 200m individual medley at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, has launched an astonishing attack on Fina – swimming’s governing body.
The 33-year-old, who represents Trinidad and Tobago and whose first Olympics was in Sydney back in 2000, spoke immediately after he failed to qualify for the 50m freestyle semi-final this evening.
“I came into the Olympics, my first Olympics, believing in the ancient legacy of heroic sporting glory”, he told The Guardian’s Andy Bull.
And now I am leaving after my fifth Olympics seeing it for what it is, sadly, a media franchise.”
Bovell is highly-regarded among his peers and is involved in a wide range of charity and humanitarian initiatives around the world.
He said Fina had turned the Olympics into a ‘glorified reality show’.
I see the cheating going on. I see the people with terrible technique swimming incredible times, and the people dropping lots of time late in their careers. The people at the bottom, like us, we just feel like gladiators. Ancient Roman slave gladiators.”
It’s not the first time swimming has come in for criticism at these Games.
Despite Michael Phelps’ spectacular performance in the pool, the presence of Yulia Efimova has overshadowed things with Irish athlete Fiona Doyle also hitting out at Fina’s stance on dopers.
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He speaks the truth. There is no appetite amongst the suits to clean up sport, too many hand me downs that could be under pressure. Sad to see
Bronze medal winner in the 2004 games in 2004…. thank god you let us know when the 2004 games were
The ban Russia was the perfect diversion & distraction tactic. Gotta see lifetime bans for cheats period
An old read through wouldn’t go astray
Mad how he only realised what a sham it is when the medals dried up…
Pathetic comment guru.
Yeah and sure it was only a bronze medal well. Idiot
And he has been in 5 Olympics with a good many more years experience as a competitive swimmer. How does your experience stack up that you can turn your nose up at even one Olympic medal?
Old gladiator?? The mans from the only sport where you literally can’t get injured.
Not sure the ancient gladiators up against the might of Rome and her legions would see the alliance myself
Are you sitting on your brains
Swimming claims more lives world wide than any other sport, probably more than all the others combined. Stay off the glue
Can you imagine the shoulder problems hey have. They must be in bits when they get older.
Good point!
Although aside from exhaustion and eventual wear and tear I don’t recall any swimmer having to pull out of the pool because they suffered a break, fracture or worse yet a lion attack.
My point is not taking away from the immense athletes that these extremely talented swimmers are, just that this fella is being a tad dramatic.
What you are talking about are high impact injuries. Obviously swimming is considered a low impact excersise so you don’t get breaks, ligament damage due to high imapct etc. However swimming uses most muscles in your body and burns 500-750 cals an hour for the average swimmer. It is considered a tough and grueling sport at Olympic professional level. Breaking your leg doesn’t make you a great athlete mate.