Poll of the Week: Tomita’s & Phelps’ Suspensions (Results)

PHOENIX, Arizona, October 15. Controversy is swarming the swimming pool particularly around 2 matters that we are going to target. Let’s start with last week’s poll and see how the audience weighed in on: Elite athletes and their harsh or not harsh enough punishments.


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As you remember, Michael Phelps received the following punishment for his most recent DUI – he is suspended from USA Swimming for 6 months, removed from the World Championship team and will no longer receive his National Team funding. The other athlete in the spot light is Japanese swimmer Naoya Tomita who was caught stealing a professional photographer’s camera. His punishment included a 17-month suspension compared to Phelps’ six and an equivalent of a $1,000 fine. Tomita’s suspension will sit him out of the water till only 2 weeks before the Japanese Olympic Trials. In our poll question last week, we wanted to know how harsh is Tomita’s 17-month suspension for stealing a camera compared to Michael Phelps’ 6-month DUI punishment. Viewers weighed in: the vast majority 62% said Tomita’s punishment is too harsh! A quarter of the voters 25% think the punishment fits the crime and only 13% think he should have been punished more. Well kids, don’t drink and drive and don’t steal from thy neighbor.

Moving on to a more political controversy in the pool, this week we want you to weigh in on the FINA – Putin debate. FINA President Dr. Julio Maglione awarded the FINA Order to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the international sports conference in Russia. The Fina Order is granted to an individual of high dignity who has achieved remarkable merit in the world of aquatics, it is FINA’s highest award. However, Russia’s battle with serious doping issues, which includes prominent athletes such a Yuliya Efimova being stripped of her world records, and Putin’s war efforts cannot be overlooked by many members around the world. This week, we want to know: Do you think Russian President Vladimir Putin is deserving of FINA’s highest award? Please weigh in and vote on SwimmingWorld.com.

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Tod Hill
Tod Hill
9 years ago

Not to add to the pile of reasons that FINA’s award is shameful, but let us not neglect Putin’s abhorrent human rights record against LGBT people? On behalf of the people of Ukraine, shame on you FINA. On behalf of those dedicated to keeping our sport clean, shame on you FINA. On behalf of LGBT Russians, shame on you FINA.

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