|
A brush with death convinced Ian Thorpe his chosen path to
Olympic immortality was futile.
Like every other swimming
prodigy of the past three decades, Thorpe's achievements are
measured against those of Mark Spitz, the American who won a record
seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Games.
When Thorpe won three gold and two silver medals as a 17-year-old
at the Sydney Olympics, his destiny seemed assured.
The Australian took the bait and started to prepare himself for a
crack at the magnificent seven. The early signs were promising.
He won six gold medals at the 2001 world championships in Japan
but the events of September 11 suddenly reshaped his thinking.
Thorpe was holidaying in New York that day and was on his way to
the World Trade Center when the first hijacked plane struck the twin
towers.
The harrowing experience made him reassess his priorities and he
vowed not to waste another day of his life. After finishing with six
golds at the Commonwealth Games a year later, Thorpe abandoned his
quest of pursuing Spitz.
"It's not me," Thorpe said. "I'm not doing something to have
accolades or the recognition."
Thorpe's success in Sydney had
already made him rich beyond his dreams but it came at a high price.
He is a national hero in Australia but cannot lead a normal
life.
He is mobbed by fans every time he walks down the street and his
every move is scrutinised by the media and public. Earlier this
year, he was moved to address rumours about his sexuality after
Sydney's gay community adopted him as an icon.
For the record, he said he was not homosexual but was flattered
by the description.
Thorpe's decision not to chase Spitz's record not only lifted the
pressure from him, but also helped him to clear his mind. He had
begun to tire of the grind of training and needed fresh inspiration
if he was to create his own legacy.
He found it in Tracey Menzies, his former high school art
teacher, who was appointed as his coach after he split with his
long-time coach Doug Frost.
Menzies encouraged Thorpe to explore life outside the pool and he
took her advice, meeting presidents and queens, the rich and the
poor, embracing his passion for fashion and developing his own range
of underwear.
"If I didn't have a coach like Tracey, I wouldn't be swimming,"
Thorpe said.
Menzies has revamped Thorpe's training techniques and is
convinced her methods will improve his speed and increase his
chances of more Olympic gold in Athens but not everyone is
convinced.
Once a serial record breaker, Thorpe has not set a world mark for
two years and critics point the finger at Menzies.
She was blamed when Thorpe slipped off the blocks and was
disqualified for a false start during the heats of the 400 metres
freestyle at the Australian Olympic trials.
Thorpe lost an appeal against his disqualification but was thrown
an unexpected lifeline a month later when his friend Craig Stevens,
who had finished second at the trials, gave up his spot in the 400
to concentrate on his other events.
Thorpe had already qualified for the 100 and 200 freestyle as
well as the three relays but the 400 is his favourite event and his
disqualification became a national saga.
He has not been beaten over the distance for seven years, winning
his first world title as a 15-year-old in 1998, and is considered a
near certainty to win gold in Athens.
His reinstatement in the 400 means Thorpe will swim six events at
Athens, one short of Spitz, but enough for him to still create his
own slice of history.
No-one has ever won the 100, 200 and 400 treble at the Olympics
but the 21-year-old Thorpe believes he has a great chance. Thorpe is
the world record holder and world champion for 200 and 400 and was a
close third in the 100 at last year's world titles.
Australia are favourites to win the 4x200 and also hold strong
prospects in the other two men's relays, giving Thorpe a real shot
of picking up six medals to take his overall tally to 11.
Spitz also won 11 medals in his career in his two appearances at
the Olympics but if everything goes according to plan Thorpe will be
swimming at a third Olympics in Beijing in 2008, setting a new
standard to fulfill his own destiny.
=======================
| Washington court rules in favor of
gay marriage |
Reed Stevenson
(Reuters)
Seattle, August 5 |
 |
|
A trial judge in Washington state ruled on Wednesday that
same-sex marriages were legal, but he stayed his decision so
the issue could be decided by the state's Supreme Court.
Gay marriage advocates hailed the decision as a big step
toward wider acceptance of legally recognized unions between
couples of the same sex, both in the state and the
country.
Lambda Legal senior attorney Jennifer Pizer, who led the
lawsuit on behalf of eight gay couples, applauded the decision
by King County Superior Court Judge William Downing, which
declared that a state law limiting marriage to men and women
was unconstitutional.
"We all knew when this case began that the trial court is
the first step," Pizer told reporters.
In his ruling, Judge Downing said state law was
unconstitutional because "the privilege of civil marriage and
the various privileges conferred by that status are not being
made equally available to all citizens."
Washington state law gives counties sole authority to issue
marriage licenses and explicitly limits marriage to "a civil
contract between a male and female." The plaintiffs filed
their lawsuit against Seattle's King County earlier this year
in order to overturn the ban on same-sex marriage.
Joseph Fuiten, the president of Washington Evangelicals for
Responsible Government denounced the ruling, calling it "one
more illustration of judicial tyranny."
"I'm stunned," said Fuiten, who is also a pastor at a local
church. The judge "is just inventing law. Marriage between
homosexuals is not a natural right."
The judge, as well both sides in the case, urged the
state's Supreme Court to take up the case quickly so that a
final decision could be delivered within months.
Support for allowing gay weddings, including moves in
California, New York state, New Jersey, New Mexico and
Massachusetts, has touched off a vigorous national debate and
spurred President George W. Bush to call for a constitutional
ban on same-sex marriage.
Missouri voters on Tuesday approved a state constitutional
amendment banning gay marriages, making it the first in the
country since a Massachusetts court decision last year set the
stage for challenges to such unions.
In Oregon, more than 3,000 same-sex couples flocked to
Portland's Multnomah County offices after it began issuing
marriage licenses in March. Since then, marriages have been
put on hold while a lawsuit works it way to the Supreme Court
and opponents are readying a November ballot measure that
would rewrite the state's constitution to define marriage as
between one man and one woman.
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels recently ordered the city
government to recognize gay marriages performed in other
states.
A measure by Bush to ban same-sex marriage was blocked by
the the U.S. Senate last month, effectively shelving the
issued for at least this election
year. |
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