Official Phelps Finish Photos: Sorry, Not Available

[underpants]

Source: New York Times

Apparently Omega has underwater video that slows the action even more than the one-hundredth of a second that Phelps won by. A spokeswoman told Joe that Omega would soon send the images to the news media.

But when Joe returned to our office, he received an e-mail message from the spokeswoman. “Sorry but FINA decided not to release any timekeeping images to the media,” she wrote.

Christopher Clarey of The International Herald Tribune tracked down Cornel Marculescu, FINA’s executive director, at the Water Cube to ask him about the decision to not release the images. Marculescu said it was a matter of policy, and that the Serbian team was satisfied with the ruling after seeing the images — so there is no need to share the images.

Christopher pressed, asking why FINA wouldn’t distribute the footage if it showed the margin conclusively. Marculescu said: “We are not going to distribute footage. We are not doing these kinds of things. Everything is good. What are you going to do with the footage? See what the Serbians already saw? It is clarified for us beyond any doubt.

“He’s the winner in any way. He’s the winner no doubt. Even if you could see the pictures, I don’ t know how you could use them.”



Read more: http://olympics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/16/phelps-finish-photos-sorry-not-available/index.html?hp

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UPDATE: Given that there is no definitive photograph showing clearly who won this race, we updated this post to feature an image taken just after both Phelps and Čavić touched the wall.

[Squatch]

1. "...the Serbian team was satisfied with the ruling after seeing the images"

'Nuff said.

[Catch22Dem]

2. Agreed (n/t)

[tridim]

3. It was extremely clear on HD super slow-mo.

Not to mention the electronic touch pads don't lie, unlike gymnastics and boxing judges.

[Xenotime]

4. The other guy coasted on one last stroke, phelps didn't

Next topic.

[underpants]

6. IF he had kicked

but he didn't

It is a last second instinctual decision (that they DO practice I am sure) :shrug: sometimes you guess right sometimes you get silver

[Warren Stupidity]

5. touch pad is definitive.

A photo might actually capture the .01 second difference, or not. The touchpad system doesn't have this problem, which is why they use it. Phelps won, there is no real controversy, it was a wonderful race in what is turning out to be a pretty damn good olympics despite the best efforts of lots of media types and jingoist idiots to stir shit up.

[Prefer]

8. I looked at the slo mo in hd

the other guy was going slowly. Phelps hand comes through the water from his last stroke and he nabbed it at the last split second.

[Baclava]

7. Alien implant alert!!!

...or....

That guy that came in 2nd was paid off for his "bad" finish!!!

"We know you can beat Phelps, but we'll pay you millions to "stumble" at the finish...sign here...just make it look good."

[HuffleClaw]

9. bad decision

all this does is cast doubt on the win.

[pokerfan]

10. Question for a swimming expert

Do swimmers try to synchronize their stroke so that they reach the wall in the same part of their stroke at the same time or do they just interrupt the last stroke to touch the pad?

[Midlodemocrat]

11. I honestly thought that Phelps had won second, but check

out these underwater pics from Sports Illustrated.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0808/oly.phelps.sequence/content.1.html?eref=T1

I think it shows he did win it. By a hair.

[MiniMe]

12. I think this one shows it. Look at Phelps right hand

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0808/oly.phelps.sequence/content.5.html



I'll add to this post that I do believe that he really won. The main reason is that it came up that way immediately. The races are automatically timed, and that is what comes up when they touch the wall. I think it was too quick for anybody to override it. If it had come up and then changed, I would wonder. I also think that the photo I linked to shows Phelps having touched with Cavits just getting to the wall. I don't think that Phelps would want it if he didn't legitimately win. Just my impression after he gave up swimming the finals of the Medley Relay in 2004 so the other american would get a medal. Its my understanding that the "B" team that does the heat for the final race gets a medal too because they were part of what got them there. In 2004, Phelps was on the B team for the Medley relay, and then he won the race. He gave up his spot on the final team to his teammate so his teammate would get a medal too.

I think the fact that the images aren't available has more to do with copyrights than a conspiracy. NBC probably owns the rights to the pictures and they don't want them distributed over the internet. I imagine that you will see them everywhere once the olympics are over.