Tara Kirk offers her view of the world

Tara Kirk has posted on her wcsn.com blog in the wake of Jessica Hardy's decision to withdraw from the U.S. Olympics swim team -- and USA Swimming's decision not to add another swimmer (Kirk) to the team.

Here is part of what she had to say:

I’m frustrated and disillusioned. But most of all, I am saddened that the people and organizations that I gave a huge part of my life to couldn’t bring themselves to do the right thing. To make this situation right.

Kirk also delivers this message to the swim hierarchy:

I’m not sure what I can do for myself. But I think that it is vitally important to make sure that something like this doesn’t happen again. I don’t think that change can occur without the acknowledgement that mistakes happened. But since no mistakes are being admitted to, that means that my fight is not over.

-- Greg Johnson

Comments

[Richard Phaneuf]

I train race horses and am familiar with the drug clenbuterol and was amazed that hardy could have three tests withi six or seven weeks and test positive only on the second test.In race horse clenbuterol will test positive for a minuim of four weeks and some horse longer. Knowing that most human drugs react the same way in race horses and have the same half life I find it almost impossible for her to have a positive test in the middle of three.The lab must have made a mistake. This cannot be possible unless the papers have not been given the full story. She should be allowed to compete until a complete investigation has been done and completed,as this is a tragedy that needs attention immediatly.
Richard Phaneuf

[Swimming mom]

Clenbuterol only got into her system because she placed it there - either intentionally or "inadvertantly". Either way both actions of choice get you banned from the sport because you CHOSE to associate yourself with a banned substance. It speaks volulmes that Jessica Hardy is NOT choosing to question the testing protocol - she fully acknowledges their accuracy. Thus there is no "mistake "here. Only a USA Swimming system of team placement that refused to act as quickly as we all know they could to address the issue of replacements and alternates - all while Ms. Hardy was rightfully suspended. And all BEFORE the deadline - if USA Swimming had desired to do so. USA Swimming had every reason to be prepared for such a predictable outcome from (at least) one swimmer's blood test - after all there were over a THOUSAND swimmmers competing at the trials!!

It appears that Coaches Schubert and Bauerle had ulterior motives as to placements of alternatives - and conflicts of interest therein too. Huge ones. And all of that needs to be vetted out. All around stinky, questionable situation. Not a fair representation of the absoilutely stellar CLEAN performances and hard work by CLEAN athletes that came out of our swimming trials.