Australia in Support of Video Replay

SYDNEY, Australia, October 13. ONE of the nations that has been a proponent of video replay in the sport will continue to push for its inclusion in major competition. When FINA meets in Florida later this month, Swimming Australia will support the use of video replay to judge rules infractions. In recent years, a number of incidents have suggested the need for video replay.

At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima used an obvious dolphin kick off the start and turn in his narrow victory in the 100 breaststroke over American Brendan Hansen. While the dolphin kick has since been legalized, at the time of Kitajima’s use, it was a forbidden move. As for this past summer, Australia’s Jessicah Schipper lost gold in the 200 butterfly at the World Championships when Poland’s Otylia Jedrzejczak used an apparent one-hand touch at the finish.

"What I'm asking initially is that the official host broadcaster footage be used and judged as official footage, along with the timing equipment videos that we already have," Australian National Team coach Alan Thompson said to ABC Sport.

Thompson also indicated a belief that there are too many major competitions each year, particularly with World Championships being held every year, the long-course version in odd years and the short-course version in even campaigns. With meets such as the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Champs on the schedule, the number of major events can be too much.

"You saw Ian Thorpe have a year off this year from competition and you may see some athletes who will chose to do the Commonwealth Games, not the Pan Pacific Championships perhaps next year, so we may not have our absolute best team on the paddock every meet next year,” Thompson said.

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