Mailbox

I read with great interest Wolfgang Dehling's comment ("Mailbox, July) regarding the two Australian swimmers in 1984 and 1988 who came from nowhere to win gold medals and break world records, then disappeared back to nowhere.

"Was this only because of their `fighting spirit'?" Dehling asks.

His rhetorical question got me to do a little research. I wondered what Jon Sieben (upset 200 fly winner of the '84 Olympic gold at L.A. in a then world record 1:54.04) and Duncan Armstrong (surprise winner of the Olympic gold 200 free in a world record 1:47.25 at Seoul in '88) had done the year before and the year after their once-in-a-lifetime triumphs?

The answer: not much.

Sieben in '83 was tied for 25th globally with a then personal best of 2:01.98 - meaning he dropped nearly five seconds in less than a year! Armstrong tied for 24th in the world in '87 with a1:50+, which means he dropped more than three-and-a-half seconds at Seoul. And the year after his stirring Olympic triumph, he was not among the top 25 globally in his speciality.

Interesting, too, is the fact that Sieben has one time only-his world record-on the all-time world performances list, and my cut goes down to 1:58.5 for some 300-deep! Armstrong has two times among the all-time top 250-plus performances-his WR and his prelim time at Seoul of 1:48.88, which ranks somewhere in the high 150-160s (my cut is 1:49.19).

The point is that while only the swimmers, their coaches and FINA know for sure what the duo sprinkled on their Wheaties those fateful mornings, both Sieben and Armstrong did times at L.A. and Seoul that they never came close to equalling again, unlike, say, a Kieren Perkins or a Michael Klim, who consistently swim fast over a long period of time.

BILL BELL

Los Angeles, California

The Fats About Mesterolone am concerned about some information you reported in the "Lane 9" section of the June issue of SW. It was stated that Jessica Foschi tested positive for "mesterolone, a steroid that is not performance-enhancing." The fact is that mesterolone is an orally active derivative of dihydrotestosterone, which has significant anabolic properties while remaining a low risk for liver toxicity-an ideal drug for athletic performance enhancement.

My concern is that the article is either (I) erroneously making the claim that some anabolic steroids are not performance-enhancing, (2) suggesting that some substances, although they are banned for everyone, do not benefit swimmers in certain events, or (3) making an attempt to sanitize the story because the athlete is an American.

Perhaps the name of the steroid was an error, and her sample tested positive for an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid, not the anabolic steroid mesterolone. In any case, since your magazine has taken a pro-active stance on the "drug issue" and many people look to Swimming World for accurate information, I sincerely hope you will print a correction or an explanation.

TIM DeMOTT

Via E-Mail

The editor replies:

Our statement regarding mesterolone, which we've made before, comes from several experts who describe the drug as one used by body builders to enhance the cut of their muscles. Apparently, it is not one of the anabolic steroids used to increase strength.

Copyright Sports Publications, Inc. Sep 1998
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