Hoff's load too heavy?
To Kevin, et al.,
Subject: Biting off only what you can chew
Let's get this straight: Hoff's times here are not bad. Let's get this straight, too: They aren't as good as many anticipated. I have a hard time blaming Hoff. Take today's first race, for example. She set the American record in the 200 free, swam the fastest she'd ever swam in the race -- and finished fourth. Is that failure?
Probably not. But it wasn't until later in the night that many around the Water Cube began shaking their heads and really wondering. In the 200 IM, about 70 minutes later, Hoff swam well below her time at the Olympic trials and well below her time at most recent meets. Was it because doubles are too hard? Because two races in one night was too much? Because five individual events and one relay were simply more than she was ready for?
Kevin, I'm going to wait a couple of more days to pass judgment. Frankly, she should be competitive in this relay (tonight in the U.S., tomorrow morning in China) and is among the favorites in the 800 free. But the questions after today's double were fair, I think.
We were on deadline, but Phil Hersh, Mr. Olympics for the Chicago Tribune, valiantly pinch-hit for The Sun this morning and shared his tape recorder. Here's what Hoff's coach, Paul Yetter, had to say:
"I think right now she's capable of doing anything she wants. Right now, she's having a good meet, She's won two medals and set an American record. I remember when Matt Biondi was supposed to win seven golds and he got a bronze in his first race and everyone asked, 'Are you disappointed?' He said, 'Nah, I just want to win a gold medal.' You kind of have to look at it like that."He was asked whether he's disappointed.
"Two medals is a good showing for anybody," Yetter said. "There's a lot of people walking around this pool deck with no medals. And Katie's got two medals. She's got a relay tomorrow and an 800 free coming up, which could be awesome. Part of the thing with Katie is she has a lot of chances to do well and that's one of the reasons she entered such a big program."
About the possibility of peaking too soon...
"Well, certainly if you're just trying to peak in one event, it's one thing. But she did hit her peak today in the 200 freestyle. It's the fastest she's ever gone and she did set an American record."
Upon being told that Hoff has failed to post personal highs in three of four events thus far:
"In the 200 IM, she had to take a chance and get out there. Otherwise, you risk getting drowned in waves. Sometimes when you take a chance, that's what happens. She's less than a second off her time, but she's out way faster, she's out six-tenths faster than when she set her American record. At some point, you have to take a chance to win or to medal. If that's going to be really difficult to do -- it's gonna take a tall order -- you've got to serve it up."
(Photo: Associated Press)
Comments
Hoff is suffering from comparisons to Phelps, which is unfair to her. She's not as dominate as Phelps is. She doesn't dominate every swim she's in and she never has. Taking nothing away from her, she's having a great Olympics. Maybe she's in the place where Phelps was in Athens 4 years ago.
Posted by: KHoff | August 14, 2008 12:14 AM