Stumbled across this article by the Daily Telegraph and my face now looks like this:

Stephanie Rice had some pictures on her Facebook. They looked like everyone else’s. It’s not anything that would have ended up on Bad Jocks or anything. Girl can’t go to a party and take pictures? Well, not if you are a high profile swimmer in Australia!

Swimming Australia thinks the shots were too “raunchy”. That’s what is considered raunchy? Seriously? Wow.

And another thing, while having access to Steph’s page is limited to facebook users and those she’s chosen to be her facebook friends, the Daily Telegraph just went and showed the entire world! How exactly does that help matters?

We have never, nor will we ever, use any swimmers’ facebook pictures on here. Well, not unless we were the ones who took the said picture. We’ve been silently policing certain communities so that personal fb pics aren’t spread.

Over the years, we’ve even counseled a handful of our swim pals with regards to their facebook usage. The Lochtenator used to have his cell phone number on his profile. We made him take that down! Also take note of his listed website, while you’re there. Then there was the Asian. He, too, had his cell phone number posted. I talked to him about it, and he took his down as well.

We’ve always been super protective of our swimmers. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had fans solicit personal information of National Teamers. It’s the reason I’m not on AIM as much anymore. They offer me money for AIM screen names, phone numbers, email addresses, and more. Information that I do not, under any circumstance, give out. They usually want the goods on Phelps, the Lochtenator, and The Hoff, but not always.

Once, someone offered me $100 for PVK’s phone number. I joked with him that he was lucky that I wasn’t an opportunist or I would have sold him out. He countered by wondering if the person was totally crazy. And if not, he instructed me to give it to them and we could split the money 50/50. That PVK; such a kidder!

Swimming World Magazine has some good advice for swimmers that we totally agree with:

Long story short, swimmers – take precautionary online measures to protect your privacy; national bodies – let the young adults be just that, young adults with their own lives.

The swimming communities and their governing bodies need to trust their athletes a little more. No one is shown doing a kegstand or anything. They’re just being themselves and showing part of their personalities. The more personality that is shown, the better for the sport. Can you imagine if USA Swimming removed all signs of Ryan’s personality from his facebook photos? I shudder at the thought.

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