Swim Question of the Week - September 22, 2010

With congratulations to Josh Schneider on being named to the US National Team after his disqualification at Pan Pac Trials this summer, a very interesting question arises...

The only way, as it turns out, that all this came about is because Cullen Jones (the swimmer with whom Josh tied in the 50 free) agreed to it.  While it may not be that cut and dry, the two will have a swim off to determine which one will represent the US at World Championships next year.

While Cullen's action makes him one of the best sportsmen of the year, what if Josh wins?  These professional swimmers ultimately make a living based on their performances at the BIG MEETS.  The risk that Cullen is taking shows that he IS one of the athletes who represents the sport in the best light.  He did what was right, even though there is potential risk to his own athletic goals.

Here's the question:

If you had a guaranteed swim at World Championships, would you take the risk of losing it, just for the sake of sportsmanship?

You can read more about it at Swimnetwork.

You can also visit Cullen's website here.