Northstander
Well-known member
- Oct 13, 2003
- 14,036
Told to either be a model or be an Olympian...WELL I BLOODY WELL WOULD DO HER!!!!!! ( see picture below!!!!)
IT is unfair to question Tamsyn Lewis' commitment to the Olympics, and wrong to blame her poor performances on a raunchy photo shoot, Australia's head athletics coach said today.
Keith Connor criticised the media and some within Athletics Australia ranks of using Lewis' sexy spread in Ralph magazine as an excuse to air their grievances about the 26-year-old rather than come out and say her performances are not up to scratch.
"If you want to come out and say, 'Tamsyn Lewis hasn't performed well over the years', I think Tamsyn can cop that, because you're talking about performances," Connor said.
"I'm not saying that myself, but if you're then using something that doesn't have any bearing on that up to now, I think it's a bit unfair. The facts need to be clarified first before we make statements like that."
Lewis, who will run in the 800m in Athens, said claims she sacrificed her fitness for the glamour of modelling are pathetic.
She said she has worked her butt off this year to overcome injury and illness and Athletics Australia should have spoken to her about its concerns rather than a newspaper.
"I so want to be a good athlete, I just do that stuff to fund myself so I can actually get over here," Lewis told Sydney radio from her training base in London.
"I did that photo shoot in January when I was injured on a day off.
"I think it's pretty bad that the people involved in Athletics Australia have felt the need to say things to the paper rather than calling me up and asking me how my injuries are going."
Lewis, who is coached by British Olympic greats Sebastian Coe and Daley Thompson, defended her poor showing this European season, which was highlighted when she struggled to keep up with the pack in a low-key B race on the weekend.
She said she has just recovered from laryngitis and is still overcoming a hamstring injury.
Connor said it is wrong to question Lewis' commitment because she has proved over the years she is dedicated to the sport by the amount of training she puts in.
"Maybe you can say that person is not getting the results that their commitment is equivalent to," he said.
"You can say, 'Perhaps Tamsyn just isn't performing well'. Well, say that, but don't say that she's not committed because that's a bit unfair."
Connor said for all anyone knew, Lewis may have already reached her maximum ability.
"We thought she had a lot of ability, and we still do think she has a lot of ability, but people come out, they do one or two performances and we jump to conclusions of grandeur straight away," he said.
"This sport takes a fair while to develop and it's very difficult to stay at the top."
Lewis was a semi-finalist at the Sydney Olympics and a regular placegetter on the European circuit in 2000.
She was fifth in the 800m at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and a member of the gold medal-winning 4x400m relay team, but finished eighth in her semi-final at last year's world championships in Paris.
IT is unfair to question Tamsyn Lewis' commitment to the Olympics, and wrong to blame her poor performances on a raunchy photo shoot, Australia's head athletics coach said today.
Keith Connor criticised the media and some within Athletics Australia ranks of using Lewis' sexy spread in Ralph magazine as an excuse to air their grievances about the 26-year-old rather than come out and say her performances are not up to scratch.
"If you want to come out and say, 'Tamsyn Lewis hasn't performed well over the years', I think Tamsyn can cop that, because you're talking about performances," Connor said.
"I'm not saying that myself, but if you're then using something that doesn't have any bearing on that up to now, I think it's a bit unfair. The facts need to be clarified first before we make statements like that."
Lewis, who will run in the 800m in Athens, said claims she sacrificed her fitness for the glamour of modelling are pathetic.
She said she has worked her butt off this year to overcome injury and illness and Athletics Australia should have spoken to her about its concerns rather than a newspaper.
"I so want to be a good athlete, I just do that stuff to fund myself so I can actually get over here," Lewis told Sydney radio from her training base in London.
"I did that photo shoot in January when I was injured on a day off.
"I think it's pretty bad that the people involved in Athletics Australia have felt the need to say things to the paper rather than calling me up and asking me how my injuries are going."
Lewis, who is coached by British Olympic greats Sebastian Coe and Daley Thompson, defended her poor showing this European season, which was highlighted when she struggled to keep up with the pack in a low-key B race on the weekend.
She said she has just recovered from laryngitis and is still overcoming a hamstring injury.
Connor said it is wrong to question Lewis' commitment because she has proved over the years she is dedicated to the sport by the amount of training she puts in.
"Maybe you can say that person is not getting the results that their commitment is equivalent to," he said.
"You can say, 'Perhaps Tamsyn just isn't performing well'. Well, say that, but don't say that she's not committed because that's a bit unfair."
Connor said for all anyone knew, Lewis may have already reached her maximum ability.
"We thought she had a lot of ability, and we still do think she has a lot of ability, but people come out, they do one or two performances and we jump to conclusions of grandeur straight away," he said.
"This sport takes a fair while to develop and it's very difficult to stay at the top."
Lewis was a semi-finalist at the Sydney Olympics and a regular placegetter on the European circuit in 2000.
She was fifth in the 800m at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and a member of the gold medal-winning 4x400m relay team, but finished eighth in her semi-final at last year's world championships in Paris.
