Butler disappointed with time at first Olympic Games
Geoffrey Butler
(CNS): Cayman’s Geoffrey Butler was the first of the country’s small team to compete at the Rio Games on Saturday, and although he was a long way off the qualifying time in the men’s 400 metre freestyle, the novice Olympian came in first in his small heat having swam alongside Pol Arias Dourdet from Andorra and Haris Bandey from Pakistan. Butler (20) said he was disappointed with his time of 4:07.87, as his personal best is 4:03.77, which he clocked in the Netherlands this April, but he still described his Olympic debut as an “incredible moment” when he spoke with the Cayman Islands press representative Jade Webster.
It’s Butler’s sister’s turn tomorrow morning as Lara makes her Olympic debut in the pool for the women’s 100 metre backstroke. The 21-year-old will be swimming in the second heat in lane six.
Category: Local News
Geoffrey, no disappointment is necessary. Simply getting to the Olympics as a competitor is a success!! You’re young, there’s time!
How many people can say they have competed in the Olympics? Incredible goal that you have achieved- congratulations!
As long as you had your heart in it and did your best, Cayman stands proud of you! Congrats Geoff for your accomplishments and for representing us!
The qualifying standards for most swimming events should be reviewed.
So much money is wasted on pipe dreams to train, transport, house and feed hundreds of swimmers during every Summer Olympic Games.
The glory of being an “Olympian” must be reserved for the truly talented of the human race.
10.32am your comments are so ignorant of the true facts regarding Olympic participation, you must surely be amongst the least talented of the human race in intelligence.
Actually, I am a sub 12 second 100m sprinter of past.
Therein lies the crux of my argument.
Even with less than a 2 second margin between my best clocked time and the current 100m world record, I was still unable to be regarded as an Olympian. Nevertheless, I have always respected and appreciated this fact.
However, as it regards swimming, the margins between qualification and gold medal times are ridiculously wide which lead to the circus that I initially highlighted.
Sub 12 seconds! I use to do that without training track. I can assure you that our swimmers are performing in their respective events at a much higher level than you were in the 100m sprints.
1.) I was 16 years old at the time, therefore, well beyond the curve of average for an aspiring sprinter.
2.) The gold medal time in the 400m Freestyle for Rio 2016 was 3:41.55 (some 25 seconds faster than Butler’s).
3.) Quite a difference in the margins of 2 seconds vs 25 seconds. (However I am sure you will find some inventive way to justify the discrepancy.)
4.) I made the sensible decision to focus my efforts elsewhere for I respected that great sprinters, like swimmers, are BORN and not made. E.g. The legendary Caymanian sprinter by the name of Jason Hamilton (RIP).
5.) Unfortunately the standards for swimming qualification do not respect or reflect that reality. (I wonder why …?)
I reiterate my original point; far too many swimmers are allowed to compete in the Olympics with the vast majority undeserving of the title “Olympian”.
You’re an idiot……
I disagree. See earlier posts for reasons why.
Trying is everything