I watched the race several times, and what is demonstrably clear is that Misty Hyman had a superior technique. This can be observed by how high her "gluteus maximus," (her butt) muscles exit the water compared to her opponents. Her efficient technique and flexibility allowed her to swim more elevated in the pool than her competitors, but that is not all. Her turns were more innovative and proven by science to be an excellent way to kick underwater. Note how her "walls" devour each contestant on every flip turn. Consequently, it is now a de-facto standard for many swimmers in the butterfly events. Next, she produced more underwater kicks than her competition; as many as seven. But did she dope?
I believe it is highly unlikely due to her soft physique. Those that use Human Growth Hormone, (which has no proof it produces performance-enhancing results; Harvard Med School) or steroids, create obvious and ridiculous changes to a women's body. More importantly, American swimmers at the Sydney Olympics never tested positive for doping. However, suspicions still surround her coach, the late Coach Richard Quick. I never met Coach Quick, and I am glad I didn't. That is all I am going to say on that topic.
So why am I talking about a race that almost 20-years ago?
Susie O’Neill’s Sydney 200 ‘Fly Silver Still Raw by Craig Lord
"...Until this week, Susie O’Neill had never watched the full video of the moment at a home Sydney 2000 Olympic Games when she battled to get back in contention with American Misty Hyman in the 200m butterfly final – and fell shy of her target as a defending champion wanting to keep her crown.
Just how much the moment meant to her was obvious when, 19 years on, O’Neill broke down in tears during a live broadcast on her morning radio show after watching the 2000 race video.
“I felt like this was my race, home crowd and to come second for me is failure,” says O’Neill, for whom a 19-year gap had been significant once before. ..."
[Link]
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