Grief is all Hall Jr. gets for medals

ATHENS, Greece - That was a gorgeous robe Gary Hall Jr. wore to the starting blocks the other night.

It looked like an American flag, a visual so striking that it ended up in newspapers all across the country, giving U.S. Swimming the kind of free publicity it so desperately craves.

Which, of course, explains why the federation hammered Hall Jr. with a $5,000 fine on Saturday morning for his choice in pre-race attire.

"I guess patriotism is out this summer," Hall Jr. said.

Sorry, the reason has nothing to do with red, white and blue or the stated desire for American athletes to act as un-American as possible at these political Olympic Games.

The reason is green, as in money, and Hall Jr. understands this very well.

"The real issue is Speedo pays millions and millions and millions of dollars for the U.S. Team to wear Speedo out to the starting blocks," he said. "And if they don't get that exposure, they're going to raise a stink about it. But that money (from Speedo) is not going to the athletes, and it's certainly not going to this athlete. And this fine I just received is more money than I've made from United States Swimming in the last four years."

Hall stopped himself and did the math. He's been on a $1,250 stipend since February. So that last part wasn't exactly accurate.

But in larger context, the fine represents precisely where the controversial swimmer stands within his federation. It hints at how he can get passed over for important Olympic relays. It illustrates why a three-time Olympian doesn't even make the front cover of the team's media guide.

It explains a lot, and this pettiness is beyond ridiculous given the weight of his accomplishments.

For those keeping score, Hall has medaled 10 times in 10 Olympic events. That is the sign of a prime-time athlete, one that knows how to swallow pressure without it swallowing him.

"I'm not a betting man," Hall said. "But I'll bet on myself every time."

He has also been near the top of his specialty - the 50-meter burst from one end of the pool to another - for three consecutive Olympiads. He won silver in Atlanta, losing to rival Alex Popov. After winning gold in Sydney, he successfully defended his medal Friday night in Athens.

To show how he's kept up with the times, Hall's second-place time in 1996 was 22.23. In 2004, the qualifying time in the 50-meter freestyle was 22.19.

Quick, name another Olympic sprinter that has stood at or near the throne for that long.

"I wasn't sure that I could do it (on Friday)," said Hall, 29. "I didn't really give age that much thought until I got to the trials, and it was pointed out to me that I was the oldest guy to make the team in 80 years. And I felt fine. I was swimming fast. It didn't seem to be an issue to me.

"But you hear all this stuff and you wonder. I would've been happy medaling (Friday). It was the fastest field ever and to still be on top ... it's tough. It's tough to win an Olympic medal. To defend it is much more difficult. Ask anybody that's ever tried. Now, I'm the oldest guy to win an individual gold medal in swimming, period."

You think that would bring a little reverence.

Better yet, on sheer performance - over time and in the clutch - Hall should be one of those treasured Olympians, the kind that stands out in the history books and gets propped up by their own federation.

Yet because of his quirky personality and his rebellious nature, he is viewed as a problem child, a source of irritation for coaches that enjoy their little power trips.

Hall's personality has made him a favorite in some quarters. His fearlessness should be admired, whether in the pool or on a podium, as should his refusal to change just to fit the program.

Still, there's no doubt Hall gets penalized for his personality, creating enemies that shouldn't exist.

"I've never tried to conform, I've never tried not to conform," he said. "This isn't an effort to create and market some persona. And I felt like, on this trip, I did everything textbook. I felt like I was really toeing the line, that I really made an effort not to create waves.

"I was going for team captain position and it didn't pay off. I was going for the flag bearer and it didn't pay off. I earned the relay spot, and that didn't pay off, either. Whether I toe the line or am rebellious, it doesn't seem to matter. But I don't really feel like a victim."

Hall certainly didn't help his case by disappearing to a Greek island following the controversial move by U.S. swim coach Eddie Reese.

Hall felt he had earned a spot in the 4x100 freestyle relay team, while rising star Michael Phelps was simply anointed to that position.

The issue then morphed into Hall vs. Ian Crocker when multiple insiders claimed Crocker was ill, a claim supported by Crocker's sluggish performances over a two-day period.

Hall won't apologize for his bitterness, instead choosing to fuel the fire on Saturday.

When asked what he was going to do with his bronze medal from that race, which he earned by being part of the qualifying team in preliminaries, Hall couldn't resist this little jab:

"I thought about giving it to Eddie just because he deserves it," Hall said. "Eddie Reese deserves that bronze medal."

Hall claimed he wasn't going to follow through with the thought.

Despite all the obstacles, Hall plans on swimming in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. If he makes it, he will become the oldest Olympic swimmer in history.

"I've been through a lot," Hall said.

"In 2000, I had a $10,000 fine over my head that I couldn't pay. I had to sell my car to make it to the Olympic trials in 2000, so I couldn't pay the fine. I called U.S. Swimming, told them I couldn't pay it, and they ended up paying it for me. But I had to sign a contract saying I'd work it off."

That fine was for wearing a wig to team photo day in Perth, Australia.

"Now, I can understand a $10,000 fine if it was only on photo day that I wore the wig," Hall said. "But I was wearing it every single day. I was showing up to the pool with it on."

Nevertheless, Hall motors on, and maybe the federation should take some credit for this. If not for this contentious relationship, maybe Hall wouldn't have such burning motivation.

Oh, and about that robe? It's made by Everlast, which is the perfect legacy of an Olympian that won't budge an inch. Not for time, age or a federation that would like him to just fade away.