Like Grant Hackett’s photo four years ago, when I first saw Leisel Jones’s picture, my first thought was, “What? She is representing Australia?”
Make no mistake, that was not an unflattering picture.
An unflattering picture is when you have an accidental double chin or something. Now I am not a professional athlete, but I do play a few sports and I do live in Bondi.
I am not saying she is fat, but when I was playing club rugby last December in Hong Kong and bulked myself up to 77 kilos, with a fairly high BMI number, I didn’t appear as having that high a body fat percentage.
I read an article recently about Michael Phelps’ diet and I understand just how many calories a swimmer consumes every day. This might be a case of Jones having a slower metabolism than she had when she was younger and her body just can’t process the energy she used to be able to burn off easily, but that’s what her dietician is for.
I think as an Olympian, one has a responsibility to have some self-awareness if you are getting paid for it. It’s the professional duty of an athlete to prepare her body in a manner that would allow her to perform the best she can. What came across to me was that she did not put herself in a position to succeed.
It may not be fair to say this about a veteran swimmer who has achieved so much, but guess what? If she swims poorly, people are not going to state the fact that she was an outside medal chance to begin with, they will be saying how she let herself down with her weight issue.
I am not trying to objectify female athletes’ body images but Jones is not tweeting a photo of herself in a Steph Rice bikini or warming up like Michelle Jenneke anytime soon. I am only bringing them up because an athlete trying to win at the highest level would not let herself be slowed down with such a burden. Jones simply just did not back herself to be competitive.
I have to admit I have little sympathy for people who don’t take good care of their bodies, partly because I am shallow and partly because I was a borderline obese kid and it took me years to become the welterweight that I am now. So I figured I should get a second opinion on this sensitive issue.
I asked a mate who used to be a swimmer at school for his opinion. He said Jones is going to become a four time Olympian, so she must know what it takes to win gold better than anyone. Then he gave me an interesting theory. Now I am not sure if he was trolling or being serious, so I am just going to put this out there.
“Fat floats, man.”
He backed this up by saying it would increase her buoyancy and keep her out of the water.
But in the end my mate admitted she is probably above than her ideal weight.
I am not writing this article because Jones appears to be out of shape, but because she is an athlete who seems to not be physically prepared for the Olympics.
I adore women of all body shapes and I genuinely believe a woman should not be judged by her body image. But this is not the Biggest Loser – making an athlete feel good about herself won’t win her a medal. We need to stop defending our athletes when they are clearly unfit.
I apologize again for spilling the inconvenient and controversial truth on this sensitive topic, but I must respectfully decline to participate in this feel-good moment.
Suedehead
Guest
Classic!
Laurence
Guest
Coming fifth Leisel Jones announced that she had exeeded her personal expectations. Now that is very sweet, however she took the place of many young hopefulls that have worked their backsides off litereally with an expectation of coming first!!!!. Nations that think that competing is the prize, rather than winnning are the nations that will fail in the future.
The Kettle Boiled.
Guest
"I have to admit I have little sympathy for people who don’t take good care of their bodies, partly because I am shallow and partly because I was a borderline obese kid and it took me years to become the welterweight that I am now. So I figured I should get a second opinion on this sensitive issue". And whats this bit about living in Bondi ? How does that qualify you to write such drivel ? Did you ever consider that it was Liesel's core strength that got her to London ? Have you even the slightest notion of how much the physiology of an elite athlete can wear itself down after swimming so intensively for at least 15 years ? Do you even know what a comfort it is to have such a senior athlete at an Olympic village when there are so many debut Olympians ? Of course you dont because I doubt you have been within cooee of an Olympian. You seem to be enamored with Steph and her tweeted image but you dont question her being in the team in view of recent enough surgery. Ah no, Steph fits in well to your Bondi promenade paradigm. ( and full marks to Steph for battling injury to make the team). For all we know, Lisels preparation may have been in the gym doing strength work as a means of preserving a battered body . Do you really, honestly believe that Liesel didnt train for London ? Your article simply annunciates your intolerance to how the world should appear in the small theatre of your mind. You describe yourself as a 'welter weight' but as far as cognitive abilities of analysis are concerned, the lighter pugilistic classification of 'straw weight' may shine magnificently against a dull penmanship. No, that's far too kind , but I will refrain from telling you what I really think of your article. Granted you are entitled to your own opinion, but dare not think you are in any way accurate in your appraisal. You really need 'to think' before you shoot from the hip . Relying on a 'mate' that says 'fat floats' probably best explains why he is your mate and not much else. It hardly validates your article. Dont kid yourself that it does. Do you ever aspire to be a serious sports writer ? One whiff of your articles and no athlete will come near you. Why ? They actually have feelings. You apparently do not.
mushi
Guest
Nothing wrong with that. When I first saw your articles I thought here’s a misguided but passionate guy. Then your compared Politis to Mark Cuban (in an outright superior way) and wrote an article on the NRL salary cap where you clearly didn’t bother to actually read anything about the salary cap (ironic that your talk about preparation now). So now my expectations have changed to a shock jock aiming for maximum controversy because you are incapable of analysis. See things change
mushi
Guest
Nick hugo had a mate that swam at highschool and he once played club rugby in hong kong. He's over qualified to assess Jones' potential swim time in a single race with pin point accuracy.
mushi
Guest
First define better. Do you have anything other than those tabloid photos ? Any insight into her training regime? She beat her world rankings by double digits so I’m guessing at 27 this was probably close to her topside potential right? Or do you have something to add anything at all. Because at the moment your adding no more than an former editor for Who Weekly
Nicholashugo
Roar Pro
it's about her going from not being satisfied of getting silver and bronze at Athens to being ecstatic about coming 5th. there's been a change of mindset.
jameswm
Guest
Chris Leisel would have swum faaster and would have got a medal if she was in better shape. Why should the author apologise? What the final proved is how incredible a swimmer she is, to come 5th in the world when you're not in great shape. And she was slower at the trials because she was more overweight at the trials.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Excellent observation by John Birmingham that sums up how I view the keyboard critics of Leisel Jones: "We’re quick to judge Liesel Jones, who could probably swim two or three laps of an Olympic pool in the time it took us to drag our fish-white, beer-bloated carcasses across the width of an inflatable kiddy pool, even when motivated by the lure of getting to a soggy packet of Kettle chips on the other side before the dog gets its thieving snout in there." Source: http://www.nationaltimes.com.au/opinion/blogs/blunt-instrument/an-obese-unfit-nation-too-quick-to-judge-20120730-239pc.html
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Nicholashugo & Fly on the Wall I'm now trying to decide how highly I should value your analysis of "how to win at the Olympics", so can you kindly share: ... what is the highest success each of you have achieved in Swimming? Are we talking State/National championships or just splashing about in your backyard pool?
Fly on the Wall
Guest
exactly. The very best pull out world record times or a PB in the finals. we do it in the heats and semis when the others are coasting - then we cannot climb the peak again in the final. To me it smacks of inadequate mental preparation as much as anything. Got to have a plan A. B and C.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Fly on the Wall What is Leisel Jones's current weight? Her time in the final was 0.14 second slower than the Semi-final time - it wouldn't have made any difference to her placing.
Nicholashugo
Roar Pro
It's trials? We're talking about practice. A close competition inspires swimmers to all reach that much deeper into their tank to swim that much faster. It's the Olympics final, you Pit the best swimmers against each other and obviously they would all try to edge their opponents out. Doing a faster lap doesn't surprise me.. But you can't tell me she wasn't capable of doing better...
Fly on the Wall
Guest
her time was slower than her semi time. Sound familiar? Yet again our koalas cannot cut it at the very moment when it is most needed - Seebohm, Magnussen, Jones, Stoeckel. If we qualify 8th and finish 5th then we can be proud. If we qualify 5th and finish 2nd then we can be proud. But vice versa and it smacks of putting too much effort into the qualifying races and not being able to deliver on the biggest stage. I have not seen another swimmer at this meet who looks anything like Jones - she is way overweight and undertoned. This was a retirement tour - make no mistake. A great swimmer, yes, but well past her prime.
Bondy
Guest
Its just media perception Fussball the people who value sports are us here on websites like these. The media all forms treat it like a Dolly magazine shoot. good post mate.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
What are you on about Nicholashugo? At the Australian Swimming Trials, held in March 2012, Leisel Jones swam times of 1:08:44 (Semi-final) and 1:07:64 (Final, finishing 2nd) This morning, in the Final of the Olympic Games, Leisel Jones swam a time of 1:06:95. Do you understand the significance of these times? Yes, Leisel Jones swam FASTER this morning than she did at the time trials in March 2012 - when no one mentioned anything about her body shape. I've just noticed that Leiston Pickett, who beat Leisel Jones at the Australian Swimming Trials, didn't even make the finals at the Olympics.
Nicholashugo
Roar Pro
Yeh well, I guess I shouldn't have completely written her off but you see my point, she could have achieved more had she prep herself better...
Roger the Alien
Guest
I'm sure Leisl has a sense of humour too.
Chris
Guest
Given her recent performance, I'm looking forward to the author's apology for his arrogance and ignorance.
k77sujith
Guest
Hi Chris, she may not be in the best shape but has done far better than the hyped up Magnussen thus far. James' athletic physique didn't help Australia register a win this morning in the relay. Go Leisel!