If Only Tamsyn Could Get To The Line As Quickly As She Ran To The Judges

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday April 1, 2006

Am I the only person who felt like throwing up while watching Tamsyn Lewis justify her official protest in the women's 4x400m relay final? She looked chuffed to bits that she had just hammered another coffin nail into the notion of sporting behaviour. As I understand it, no advantage was being gained by the England runners as a result of the lane mix-up at the baton handover and I don't think anyone has suggested the Brits did it on purpose. What satisfaction can there possibly be for the Australian team to know they were comprehensively outrun and yet, due to their petulant whingeing, are now in the possession of gold medals? At least Jana Pittman, on reflection, has had the decency to distance herself from this rather shameful episode.

Clive Barratt, Birchgrove

I was wondering if it was true that Tamsyn Lewis's split times for the 4x400m relay show her to be faster at running to appeal to the judges after the race than she ran on the track in actual competition?

Alistair Sandilands, Gymea BayThere has been much complaint by the England women's 4x400m relay team in the Commonwealth Games and the UK press that they were disqualified on a minor technicality, enabling Australia to win. Tamsyn Lewis seems to have been unfairly singled out for a protest initiated by her entire team. However, the British team did not complain when receiving a bronze medal in the same event at the 2005 world championships. During the heats, the US team won by a huge margin but was disqualified when one of its runners was judged to have incorrectly positioned herself on the inside lane while waiting to receive the baton on the third leg, which interfered with both Britain and Jamaica.

Paul Roberts, Lake Cathie

Ricky woz robbed

Ricky Ponting scores a hundred in each innings; Shane Warne takes eight wickets and gets man of the match. What a travesty. I always thought a century was equal to a five-wicket haul. Well, at least Ponting got to have the day off.

Alvin Lim, MenaiLet it go, George

George Piggins said he would walk away from South Sydney, take his bat and ball and go home. Now he has returned threatening to drag Souths through the courts, going back on his word. When will the silliness end? Surely the overwhelming vote result was enough of a clue for George.

Brent Cutler, Gymea

In a sorry state

I understand Queensland have just won a cricket final. Could someone advise whether this was the final of the season's state cricket, interstate cricket, four-day cricket, first-class cricket, domestic cricket, the Sheffield Shield or the Pura Cup? Or all of them? And have I missed any?

Steve Rawling, Kurrajong Heights

So yet another cricket final yawns its way to a draw, ensuring that the home team "wins". It's fair that the team finishing first on the table gets the advantage of a home final; but the concept that the home team need only draw the match to win flies in the face of competitive sport. Queensland 6-900? Gimme a break! Why not let the affair be played out over as many days as it takes? After all, it is the domestic season's showpiece, or should aspire to be.

Jim Dewar, North Gosford

As the Pura Cup has ended for another year, you can almost hear the collective sigh of relief from ABC Grandstand listeners. I can't believe Grandstand continues to base its summer sport line-up around domestic cricket. The standard of cricket may well be high, but the interest in it is non-existent - the crowds make the NBL look good, and it can't even capture any pay TV coverage, let alone free to air. Ever heard of a Pura Cup tipping comp? With the A-League now established (seemingly with a great deal of success), it's about time Grandstand stopped flogging the dead horse that is state cricket. Between international cricket and the A-League you have two popular competitions with a national following around which Grandstand could be based. Here's hoping that we don't have to put up with any more 30-minute blocks of tedium from the Junction Oval or Gabba next summer.

Greg Pankhurst, Marrickville

Think safe - and big

I sincerely hope that within the new rules for rugby union being trialled, the powers that be will not adopt the proposal to allow the maul to be collapsed by either side, as this could lead to serious injuries.

David Jagoe, Yattalunga

Forget Mark Gasnier, Wille Tonga and co. What Australian rugby really needs is an Ox, sorry, an Os du Randt or (preferably) two.

John Moir, Mollymook

Tests back on top

We all know how strong rugby league is at club and State of Origin level, but with Andrew Johns coming out this week and stating that he'd rather finish his representative career in a Roos jersey than a Blues jersey, it suggests that Test rugby league is back to the level of importance it deserves. We are at the dawn of a golden age of trans-Tasman rugby league Tests. The Kiwis are Tri-Nations champions, and they did it without four of the game's hottest young players. Add Benji Marshall, Sonny Bill Williams, Iosia Soliola and hopefully Karmichael Hunt to that side, and surely New Zealand start favourites on May 5.

Alistair Davis, Sylvania

© 2006 Sydney Morning Herald

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