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BEIJING—Swimmers are easier to attend to than any other
athlete, according to Dr. Martin Camara.
Camara,
the Team Philippines chiropractor, told the
BusinessMirror swimmers have the natural tendency to
feel and determine which part of their body needs
attention.
“The
good thing about swimmers is that they are in tune with
their bodies,” said Camara. “They’re very specific with
their pains.”
Unlike
athletes in track and field who are “tight,” Camara said
swimmers “have a good feel of their bodies because they
have a good feel of the water.”
“Athletes in athletics are more explosive and are very
tight, while the swimmers, they are what you could say
‘loose,’” he said.
Camara
is one of three members of the Team Philippines medical
team. Dr. Alejandro Pineda heads the team while Dr.
Orson Odulio is the orthopedic expert.
It was
Odulio who “lent” his accreditation slot to Manny
Pacquiao so that the world professional boxing champion
could carry the Philippine flag during the parade of
nations in Friday’s opening ceremonies.
Sports court lets swimmer Simms compete
for RP
By Reuben Terrado
Correspondent
THE
participation of Filipino swimmer Christel Simms in the
2008 Beijing Olympics was actually scrutinized by the
Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) a week before the
start of the world’s biggest sports spectacle, the
BusinessMirror learned.
The
International Swimming Federation (Fina) initially did
not allow Simms to swim for the Philippines in the
Olympics, saying she did not have a permanent residence
in the country during at least 12 months prior to the
event. The Fina informed the Philippine Amateur Swimming
Association (Pasa) of its decision in June.
The
17-year-old Simms, a dual citizen of the United States
and the Philippines, represented America in an
international competition in 2007.
But the
CAS upheld the application filed by Simms, saying she
had already competed for the Philippines during the
World Championships in Manchester, England in March.
“The
panel considered that even if Ms. Simms did not have a
permanent residence in the Philippines during the last
12 months prior to the Olympic Games, she has been
officially allowed by Fina, in February 2008, to be
entered in the Games by the NOC of Philippines,” the CAS
statement dated August 1 said, which was posted in the
web site swimmingworldmagazine.com.
The CAS
decision was also reported by the Associated Press and
the Honolulu Advertiser in Hawaii, where Simms was born.
“The CAS
Panel has confirmed the validity of the Fina rule
regarding the conditions for the change of sports
nationality but has considered that Fina was stopped
from denying the entry of Christel Simms in the Olympic
Games after having granted it without any reservation,”
the statement added.
The
hearing took place at the CAS office in Beijing with a
panel of arbitrators, led by president Sharad Rao of
Kenya, and members Thomas Lee of Malaysia and Liu Chi of
China.
Simms
will compete in the 100-meter freestyle Wednesday and
50-meter freestyle on Friday. |
