Coach Schubert on the Jessica Hardy-Tara Kirk case
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BEIJING -- Naturally, USA Swimming’s head team coach, Mark Schubert knew what the seven of us -- six American reporters and an Aussie journalist -- wanted to talk to him about today after practice at the Water Cube.
No, it wasn’t only about the hazy air in the Cube on Monday.
Instead, it had to do with the continued aftershocks of the Jessica Hardy case.
Hardy, who tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol during the Olympic trials, withdrew from the U.S. swim team Friday. The matter has sparked controversy over how USA Swimming handled the matter, particularly from breaststroker Tara Kirk, who missed making the team by a hundredth of a second at the Olympic trials.
The third-place finishers at trials, Kirk, in the 100-meter breaststroke, and Lara Jackson, in the 50 freestyle were not added to the team. Instead, swimming in Hardy’s events at the Olympics will be Rebecca Soni (100 breaststroke) and Kara Lynn Joyce (50 freestyle). Soni and Joyce already were on the squad.
Hardy was notified about the positive drug test on July 21. Schubert told us today that he did not know about the positive drug test until the afternoon of the 21st.
‘Basically, we’re just following the selection procedure,’ Schubert said. ‘Everybody has feelings about the selection procedure, and obviously when the selection procedure was developed, nobody thought we would be getting drug test results on the 21st and 22nd of July.’
Karen Crouse of the New York Times asked if the procedures will be revisited.
Schubert: ‘Absolutely. Rightfully so.’
The deadline for USA Swimming to submit its roster was July 21, and now Schubert was saying the team could not have added alternates even then, because ‘we had no room to add without a withdrawal.’
He said, ‘Officially, Hardy was not off the team until the 1st of August when she withdrew.’
Schubert said he spoke to Kirk when the team was at training camp in Palo Alto. Kirk in an e-mail earlier in the day said she is still working on pursuing the matter and wrote: ‘It has been a relief to know that my coach and I are not the only ones saying, ‘Hey! This isn’t right.’ ‘
I asked Schubert if he felt Kirk had been given an adequate explanation. When he spoke to Kirk, the Hardy case was still in limbo.
‘That’s what made everything difficult, the confidentiality situation and not being able to talk about it,’ he said. ‘It’s a very convoluted process, respecting confidentiality, athletes’ rights, due process, and we care about Tara too. It’s been very difficult.’
-- Lisa Dillman
