Oooooops by Philip Hindes?

[Penfold]

Just watched the interviews after the mens sprint final....A terrific GB win

Philip Hindes let slip on TV that he in fact was playing a trick during the final because he didnt get a great start. So there was nothing wrong with his bike (steering etc etc) to cause a re-start it was just that he didnt get out the blocks well enough.

Was this a mistake? Should he have kept his mouth closed?

If I was the manager of the French team I would be straight off to the judges.

Not in the Olympic spirit?

I was watching Sir Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny eyeballing him when he was saying it.

Would post this in the racing/Olympics section but there is no track cycling board yet.

[LollyKat]

Very sad if that is the case. Didn't the judges check the bike before allowing the restart? If he really did fake it all (I haven't seen the race or the interview) then the team should be disqualified.

[patricktaylor]

I thought it was very strange. Deliberately falling off to claim a restart - or so he seemed to admit. I don't know the rules but Hoy didn't seem to like it when he said it. I'd have thought they would have discussed it (whatever it was) before the interview?

[whoops]

Do you really think he could be so naive, as to admit it?
Fake it ... if only he could be that clever!

[rualexander]

I'm not sure that is what he said or meant. He was asked something by Jill Douglas but i don't think he quite understood and answered as if a bit confused by the question, he is German and although his english is good, its maybe not good enough to pick up the nuances of an unexpected question.

[Penfold]

Well I think I heard him plain enough.....

Would be nice to find the interview...must be on tinterwebbything somewhere.

[patricktaylor]

"My start wasn't the greatest, so I just thought get a restart," he said. He slumped down on the top tube then fell sideways (most peculiarly). From his words it seems it was deliberate, to create a 'mishap' (which the rules say can lead to a restart at the commissaire's discretion). It seems unlikely a restart would be allowed for a deliberate fall (IMO).

[Penfold]

Here it is....make your own mind up....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19104330

Poor English or a 'cough' to dropping the bike to get a re-start. ....Watch Hoys eyes when Hindes makes his statement.

Here is the 'crash'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19102345

[patricktaylor]

From the clips it seems he deliberately feigned a mishap - the 'fall' - after making an obviously bad start. He admits this quite openly, innocently even, referring to "playing the safe card" to have a second better go. I'd say he believes it's a perfectly legitimate tactic.

[rualexander]

Ok, yes having seen it again, there does seem to be something fishy with his initial statement in the interview, its a bit later where he doesn't quite seem to understand the question about 'kidology'.

[patricktaylor]

It was 'pulling a fast one' he didn't understand. More on Velo News: Britain’s Hindes admits to crashing purposely in team sprint (frowned upon but not actually breaking the rules)

[Mark1978]

If the rules say it's acceptable, then ok. But very very dodgy, IMO the rules need to be changed in this regard, as in other sports (such as Badminton!) he would have been thrown out in disgrace.

[LollyKat]

+1.

I'm afraid this really taints the whole result for me. I could just about have accepted it as the panicked action of a young man, but if the Velo news quote ...

“I think they [Hoy and Kenny] knew I’d done it on purpose,” he said. We were speaking yesterday,that if anything happens someone has to crash. So I did it.”

is genuine, my regard for the British team plummets.

[[XAP]Bob]

The last report I saw suggested wheelspin as the initial cause...

I'd call that a mechanical - although one you can carry on from - but at a serious disadvantage. If that it the case then increasing the result of the issue is very grey...

France’s national team chief for track, Isabelle Gautheron, said the team knew Hindes had crashed to obtain a restart, but that it would do nothing to change the result.

In a telephone call with AFP, she said: “It’s pretty obvious from the video pictures that he crashed to get the restart.

“There is nothing in the rules to sanction such an action. But now that he’s come out and said it, I hope the authorities consider making a change to the rules.

[LollyKat]

But isn't wheelspin in a case like this caused by an error in rider technique rather than something mechanical like a jammed break or damaged chain?