DID MICHAEL PHELPS REALLY WON THAT 7TH GOLD MEDAL AT THE 2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS

OR

WAS THIS A CONSPIRACY OF OLYMPIC PROPORTIONS?

Background:

On August 15th Michael Phelps participated in a 100M fly finals race at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He was heavily favoritized to win this race, despite losing the same race in qualifying session against Milorad Cavic. The world's media attention turned toward Phelps expecting him to tie Mark Spitz ' 36 year old record. But, as it turned out, Michael Phelps did not start this race as expected. At the 50M mark he was only 7th out of 8th participants. Milorad Cavic led the race from start to finish, including at the 50M mark. Towards the end of the race, it appeared that Phelps closed on Cavic's lead, but still could not manage to beat him. The eyes of all the spectators in the acquatic center in Beijing, as well as those millions around the world, clearly saw that Milorad Cavic has won the race. Televised replays from all the different angles, including the one from underwater cameras, have clearly showed that Milorad Cavic was the fist one to touch the wall. Television replays also showed Michael Phelps' coach Bob Bowman dissapointedly muttering: „He's got him.” (meaning that Cavic beat Phelps). Phelps' own mother sitting in the audience in all her confusion raised two fingers in the air as if accepting that her son came in second. Even Phelps himself, in the fist couple of seconds after the finish, appeared to be subdued knowing/believing that he lost the race. But, something happened there, and the official timekeeper of the event OMEGA showed that Phelps supposedly won by 0.01 of a second. That is 100th part of one second, and the lowest margin of difference allowed in the official swimming contests.

001 OF A SECOND?

Yes, the underwater sensors of the official timekeeper of the event, the watchmaker Omega, have determined that Michael Phelps, has won this race by 0.01 of a second.

0.01 OF A SECOND?

Was this an ad for a watchmaker or what?

But the devil is indeed in the detail.

How is it that the official timekeeper of the event is the same company that sponsors Phelps since 2004? Isn't there a clear conflict of interest here? And why are leading FINA officials unashamedly and brazenly the biggest cheerleaders of Michael Phelps? We are not talking about NBC and other American-broadcasters who have clear interest in weaving the mythical narrative in quest for the largest share of ratings, and for purposes of appeasing to their advertisers (and therefore for their economical ends) who buy such ridiculously overpriced ad slots. We are not talking about millions of average American fans who are being assaulted by some of the biggest sport-related media hype in history. We are not talking about millions of biased American fans that only care that Phelps is an American who „kicks ***”. We are not talking about millions of white Americans who rejoice and cheerish the success and worldwide fame of an all-white athlete in a sport where speed, stamina and physical contributions are of outmost importance. Instead, we are talking about the officials of FINA, the suposedly neutral governing and regulating body of this sport. Think of the possibilities of inbreeding my friends. Shame on you FINA! Shame on you IOC!

Finally, we can't help but to spotlight the emotional immaturity of the man himself. After the race Michael Phelps commented how he found an extra motivation before the race in the Cavic's stataments that it would be good for sport of swimming if Phelps lost. Whaaaat? I mean doesn't this implies that Phelps thinks that nobody should say anything? That nobody should have their own right to exist and win? That the competitors should say nothing and simply bow in front of his hyped up „majesty”? Sadly, like every other red-white-and-blue delusional outthere Michael Phelps too exhibits symptoms of a stereotypical „ugly American” condition.

Finally, if you think this is just about one race in some stupid sport, think again.

This is the end my friend. Dumbing down of America before the marketing and media and political gods is long complete. Knowingly or not we are in it just for the sake of chasing our own tails. Eating our own young. We are part of the societal and global loop structure that is larger than the capability of our individual comprehension of the matters that concern us and our well-beings. We are intellectual cyborgs that have inbreed and self-mutated. We are pre-wired, pre-programmed, and our basic emotions and life experiences are pre-determined. Worst of all -- we come with no expiration date.

So rejoice away my friends, and look forward to another manufactured spectacle brought to you by masters of the global loop whose unwitting part you are.

Facts:

Milorad Cavic beats Michael Phelps (FINALS SESSION) at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (Source: NBC)
· Milorad Cavic beats Michael Phelps (QUALIFYING SESSION) at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (Source: Independent UK)

OMEGA is the official sponsor of Michael Phelps since 2004. (Source: OmegaWatches.com)
Michael Phelps in an OMEGA sponsored lane at the finish line next to Milorad Cavic (Source: Michael Kappeler/AFP/Getty Images, August 16)
Michael Phelps can't bear to look the truth square in the eyes (Source: unknown)
FINA official cheers for Phelps and promises: „(Phelps) would have won the race no matter what.” (Source: San Francisco Chronicle, August 16)
FINA official refuses to release the conclusive evidence of Phelps' win, and states the following: „We are not going to distribute footage. We are not doing these kinds of things. Everything is good.” (Source: New York Times, August 16)
„Replays of Phelps's finish compared with Cavic's appeared to show Cavic reached the wall ahead of his American rival.” (Source: Globe and Mail, August 16)
Jay Mariotti: „Let's make something clear: It wouldn't have been good for sport, swimming or anyone but Cavic had Phelps lost. Losing his final individual race would have been one of the great letdowns in sports history.” (Source: Chicago Sun-Times, August 16)