From Hero to Zero
He came, he saw, and he conquered…well almost. SA swimming sensation Ryk Neethling was the star of the Mr Price gala in Durban this past weekend. The world record holder swam 7 races and won 7 races. He was cheered, mobbed and (mainly by the females present) goggled at. But there was a problem.
Swimming like any sport has its own etiquette and as in any sport, respect for one’s competitors is paramount. His swimming credentials beyond question, Neethling let himself, the sport and those watching down in his total lack of respect for both the code of conduct and his competitors.
Having finished one’s event, swimmers remain in the water until all the competitors complete the race only then exiting the pool from the side. This is common practice the world over and for as long as I have been watching the sport I have never seen an exception. Over the weekend however Neethling, on more than one occasion, left the pool from his lane before others in his event had completed their race.
How else to interpret this other than sheer arrogance and disregard for those against whom one is competing. Should any other swimmer have done this they would have been disqualified no questions asked. Was Neethling disqualified? No.
So why is Neethling above the law? What a poor example to be setting to the adoring kids at the gala who look to him as a role model. Shame on you Ryk, you ought to know better.
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Someone find Ryk and get him down here to let us know why?
OK so Ryk has an official web site (http://www.rykneethling.com). I copied this post, sent it to Ryk’s contact (Jim – jstorey@swsmg.com) and asked him to respond on behalf of Ryk. Let’s see if he does?
Hee hee, gotta love this blog!
Perceptions & experience more oft than not are wholly subjective to the individual…. Some food for thought when forming an opinion on events u read about but at which you were not actually present.
However, having attended the gala in Durbs this past weekend I am qualified to state that my experience and observations of Ryk Neethling couldn’t have been further from or more different to Keith’s post above.
From what I saw, Ryk did by no means exit the water before the last competitor had finished the race. And if the manner in which he left the pool serves as the real bone of contention, the worst crime Ryk seems to have committed is thatof jumping over the side of the swimming pool instead of swimming to the side, an action by no means any grounds for disqualification…
What a shame that prejudice fuels the assumption that arrogance, disregard & disrespect are the bedfellows of Ryk’s immense achievement & accolade. Instead of acknowledging the gruelling hard work, unbending commitment and impeccable results produced time and again in the water by Ryk, instead of expressing collective pride & support of the continued sterling performance of this world class South African sprinter there still remains individuals who choose to find fault even where there is none and criticise and tarnish his image and character. Yet no mention is made of that same Ryk Neethling choosing to remain behind at the gala diligently interacting, dishing out autographs and posing for photographs with ardent fans for more than 2 hours…
I speak only for myself but would be blatantly lying if I said I witnessed Ryk setting a ‘poor example’ as a role model in any capacity. All I saw was a young man excelling at his passion with humility and poise and giving back selflessly to those in awe and admiration of his talent and accomplishments. How true what they say about ‘the tallest trees being forced to fight off the most stormy of winds…’
Samcoco has a valid point. Ryk did give his time to sign autographs and generally be available to his fans. That deserves to be noted and credit given.I too admire him for his considerable achievements in the pool and can only imagine the kind of effort they demand. However, I was not alone in noticing the behaviour mentioned and some of the talk that did the rounds as a result. This was an age group gala and certain protocols should have been observed. I also should not have assumed attitudes (like arrogance) on the actions observed and so others can make their own assesments from whatever they might have seen. I don’t choose to find only fault and attempt to point out the good and the not so good as encountered. So away from the more ‘reporting’ style of the original blog, I find myself less ‘on the edge’ when it comes to how I couch my current comments but I remain certain of actions that are deserving of questions being asked. Some can choose to ignore such questions at the cost of remaining grounded in circumstances when it is so easy not to be so.
I emailed Ryk with a comment about this site, and he wrote back saying:
Roger,
You can post this on your blog.
I never left the pool before the last person finished. What I did do was jump over
the side of the pool to get out. No disqualification for that in any rule book.
Just wanted to clear that up. Unfortunately someone will always find something to
criticize.
Cheers
Ryk