Dara Torres, Jessica Hardy, Lara Jackson in the US Trials 50m free final

Dave Salo weighs in on why Jessica Hardy tested positive!

In my uninformed opinion Dave Salo should have said nothing but instead Coach Salo was quoted in the Orange County Register as saying this: "... Dave Salo, Hardy's coach at the Trojan Swim Club, told the Orange County Register on Thursday he thinks Hardy's positive drug test at the recent U.S. Olympic Trials for the banned stimulant clenbuterol was the result of "inadvertent consumption of a banned substance" possibly through supplements or vitamins. ..." [Link]

He also mentioned that he told Jessica Hardy to have whatever she is taking tested for purity. Though I understand his intention, that too is a bit ill advised for the product here is not regulated whatsoever and the quality and content can and will change from time to time.

These companies that make and distribute supplement products don't actually make these supplement products anyway. They are primarily distribution companies that buy product in bulk form from an original design manufacturers (ODM), slap on an expensive looking logo that says "Bicep-Blaster" or "Power-Butt-Desintegrator" and then they sell it.

They don't know what is in it especially if it is from overseas.

Jessica Hardy was part of that machine and she got hosed. If Dave Salo's speculation is correct, Tara Kirk, Lara Jackson and Amanda Weir belong on that Beijing squad and they were improperly denied.

USA Swimming had a two day window after Hardy tested positive to include Kirk, Weir and Jackson to the US Olympic Swim team!

Swimming World editor, Jason Marstellar, actually took the time to read the FINA rules to find out when the deadline was to declare our US Olympic swim team. The deadline was actually July 23 not the 21st. USA Swimming at the very latest received news of Hardy's positive test on June 21st; (If you believe that this was the date they found out), and USA Swimming consequently had a 48 hour window to select alternates in her place.

From Swimming World: "... However, the drop-dead deadline from FINA to receive entry forms from National Olympic Committees, available on its website here, was July 23 - in Switzerland.

Now, at first blush, someone might say that USA Swimming had plenty of time to pull the trigger and replace Hardy with Tara Kirk in the 100 breast, Lara Jackson in the 50 free, and Amanda Weir in the 400 freestyle relay. Knowing something on July 21, regardless of a self-imposed deadline, should allow someone to make a last-ditch effort before the true final deadline of July 23 in the final stages of the process, wouldn't you think?

There are so many levels involved in this conversation, that I don't believe it can be simplified that much ...." [Link]

Well, I think it can be simplified, boolean and positioned black-and-white terms: Jessica Hardy tested positive so you select the alternates! Period. :-P

If the time frame does not allow for Hardy to make the case that she is innocent, then USA Swimming has to take responsibility for this and fix both the process and the screw-ups.

Here are some simple suggestions:

1. Acknowledge you played havoc with the FINA rules by making up your own silly deadline and state you want to fix it.

2. Move Olympic Trials to sometime in April or May rather than early July thus allowing a 12-week window or more for testing to be completed, appeals to be made, and for USA Swimming's to get their bloody "ducks in a row." Apparently they need that much time.

3. Make good with all those swimmers that were effected by the poor execution and the sloppy handling of the FINA rules by either placing them on the team; (if FINA will allow it now that it is past the deadline), or by compensating them economically for the time, effort and training costs for following the rules and then being denied a legitimate spot that they honestly earned.

Above is a photo of Amanda Weir.

Jessica Hardy tested positive on July 4th 2008 - Hello? Was anybody home at USA Swimming?

Jessica Hardy tested "barely positive" on July 4th, or two-whole-weeks before USA Swimming had to declare their team to the IOC.

In project management textbooks words and concepts like "deliverables" and "milestones" are defined and are recommended to be acknowledged or signed off in some way.

I don't know for certain but one would think that USADA and USA Swimming were talking to each other once the initial findings were known yet no "Plan B" was in place to replace an athlete if a second test came back positive. Why? Especially if you had a deadline to declare a team to the IOC within two weeks.

Who is the genius that screwed that up?

Perhaps a two week warning notice for USA Swimming was not enough time which then raises the question that perhaps Olympic Trials were held too late in the year. If that is the case, why would they play "chicken" with such a deadline?

Consequently, due to their seemingly incompetent management or their presumption that all USA Swimming athletes would test negative, there are two athletes sitting at home right now, Tara Kirk and Lara Jackson, who legally, honestly and ethically deserved to be in Beijing in two weeks but it is looking like they won't be.

This is a serious screw-up on the part of USA Swimming and they need to take responsibility. How will they rectify this for these two swimmers?

From the New York Times: "... A person close to Hardy, who requested anonymity because he did not have all the details of the results, said he was told that she tested “barely positive” on July 4. That was the night Hardy placed fourth in the 100-meter freestyle to earn a relay spot.

The positive test, the person said, was sandwiched between negative test results on July 1, after Hardy’s victory in the 100 breaststroke, and on July 6, after she finished second in the 50 freestyle behind Dara Torres. [Link]

In my opinion USA Swimming needs some sort of internal audit for it is there responsibility to deliver an effective team to represent the USA in the Olympics and that requires planning, organization and a speedy determination of who is allowed on that team. They apparently were blindsided by a situation way to obvious to not predict.

Jessica Hardy tested positive! - Both "A" and "B" samples!

When I was at workout tonight, Erik H., told me Jessica Hardy tested positive. As soon I got back I saw a link in my inbox from an anonymous reader linking me to a Swimming World article.

My first reaction was shock/denial, my secondary reaction is that no country has a monopoly on ethics. My third reaction came after I read the Swimming World Piece.

From Swimming World: "...The news comes just a bit too late to be helpful for Lara Jackson, the third-place finisher at Trials in the 50 free, and Tara Kirk, the third-place finisher in the 100 breast. After not making the team originally, the pair would be bypassed for Joyce and Soni. ..."

According to a report at NBCOlympics.com, "both her A and B samples have come back positive." NBCOlympics.com also reports that the tests came from Trials. ..." [Link]

If Jessica Hardy took drugs then the aforementioned swimmers who were clean and honest and who probably worked a major portion of their lives for this goal should be Olympians and sent to Beijing anyway.

Screw this silly rule that they can only pick from available talent. Lara Jackson and Tara Kirk are Olympians and should be sent!

If ever a lawsuit was warranted to get one placed on an Olympic team, this is it!!!