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Simon Whitfield crashes in final Olympic triathlon, while Findlay furore lingers
Just like that for Simon Whitfield, it was all over but the conjecturing.
The veteran triathlete, who put himself squarely into a Canadian Olympic controversy after seeing a distraught Paula Findlay struggle through the women's event, was out of his own event before much of the country awakened. Now people will only wonder if one has to do with the other.
[Photos: Controversy at 2012 Games]
Whitfield's fate and all of last weekend's drama are probably just a coincidence, of course. The 37-year-old's London Olympics, his final one, ended barely 10 seconds into the first transition, from the swim to the cycling. In a rush to catch up to the lead pack, he touched wheels with a Costa Rican racer, tumbled off his bike and fell into a barricade. That was it, really, rendering him an example of flag bearer's syndrome (see Nicolas Gill losing his first judo match in 2004).
Now, because of the way sports journalism works, he will — or should — get asked if it was a good idea to take away from his own race prep to put energy toward slamming Triathon Canada three days ago for how it treated Findlay in her time of need dating back to her hip injury in 2011. Whitfield alleged they "actively sabotaged" the first-time Olympian whose teary last-place finish made a nation's heart ache, but inspired a few for completing the course while running on little more than character and fumes.
Now people will wonder if the veteran had the proper focus heading into his final Olympic triathlon. A crash lets the critics and second-guessers say whatever they want; that's their journey.
[Related: Whitfield lashes out over Findlay's treatment]
Asking that question ignores a higher one. It's impossible for the armchair observer to really understand the moral and ethical code an elite-level athlete lives by. Canadians who combed the U.S. women's soccer players' post-game quotes from Monday for signs of American arrogance would do well to appreciate this, present company included.
On another, perhaps a credulity-straining, suspension-of-disbelief level, though, that question ignores something broader. Whitfield, with a huge platform assembled from his two Olympic medals in the triathlon, might feel a responsibility to advocate for his other athletes. He saw a 23-year-old emotional wreck whose well-being was thrown on the altar of Own The Podium-mandated accountability.
Whitfield's comments were controversial because it amounted to airing dirty laundry after the fact. He called out Findlay's ex-coach Patrick Kelly, along with Calgary-based exercise physiologist David Smith and Own The Podium's Debbie Muir for caring more about where the buck stopped than they did about Paula Findlay. He said they basically did what American college football coaches in the Bear Bryant era used to do with underperforming scholarship-athletes — run her off. Make her quit, at least for these Olympics.
Whitfield alleged that Smith, Muir and Kelly hindered instead of helped. He indicated that Kelly was on his way out, but that Findlay ultimately decided to go in different direction and the parting was messy.
"They actually actively sabotaged her the last six weeks with obstacles, hurdles and fitness tests — fraudulent fitness tests and comments that were not helpful," Whitfield said. "That was even more damning. Not only did you get her to this position, now you're trying to trip her. … They were basically trying to prove she wasn't ready, but I think it was to save their face."
As for Kelly, Whitfield said: "He actively worked in the background to undermine it. That's not a thing of character. When he was called on to appeal against her decision, he should have had the character to say, 'I abstain from this, that would be right,' instead of actively working against her."
Whitfield added: "I think she was ill-advised. I think people's ego and their protecting themselves became more important. It became about appearing to do the right thing instead of doing the right thing. You can sum it up with all that." (Yahoo! Sports)
Ironically, the alleged mistreatment of Findlay created an Olympic heroine. Judging from what came into my e-mail inbox on Saturday, there are people who saw her struggle as a reason to keep on keeping on, in this life.
At that time, shedding light — sunshine is the best disinfectant — on what led to Findlay's collapse might have been as important as Whitfield's result. People will wonder if he was looking for a distraction. But Whitfield's running ability could have kept him up with the lead pack in London.
The crash leaves a void. It amounts to an inglorious end to Simon Whitfield's Olympic career, but going out in a blaze of glory is usually reserved for the movies.
More: Controversy mars Canada-US soccer match
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Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.
