This weekend is the running of the 83rd Hambletonian. In the tradition of having special guests to hand out the trophy for the $1.5 million purse, the race organizers have invited the US�s most decorated Olympian, swimmer Jenny Thompson to do this year�s honors.  We got a chance to chat with Jenny about the race, this year�s Olympics, and (of course) steroids.

So, let�s talk about the race. How did you get involved with the Hambletonian?
The Hambletonian has such a great tradition. It�s the largest harness race in the world. Jimmy Cagney�s given the trophy out, and so has George Foreman so I�m really honored to be invited. I love competition, but I don�t really have experience in horse racing. If I�m going to go to one, though, it�s going to be the Hambletonian.

And you know, some of the horses train and recover from injuries by swimming so I can relate.

Is there a specific horse you�re rooting for?
I�ll probably be Crazed because he�s from Mass. The favored horse is Deweycheatumnhowe, but Crazed is a close second.

I put my money on Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby, so that worked out for me. Although I bet on another horse in an earlier race named Dr. Jenny who lost.

Yeah, but you always have to bet on yourself�
Haha�.yeah. I guess you do.

I want to talk about the Speedo LZR suit. A lot of people feel that the advantage is unfair. A few have even said that using the suit would be similar to doping. Do you agree?
Well, to be honest, I don�t know the specifications of the suit. There are rules of FINA [the governing body of swimming] that deal with the suits. Obviously they don�t break the rules or they wouldn�t be allowed.

It�s a matter of technology. Technology happens in every sport. Suits have gotten faster and faster with time. I don�t think it�s anything to get upset about.

Well, Nike has recently announced that they�ll allow their swimmers to wear the Speedo suits....
That happens every single Olympics. Speedo puts way more research into their suits. It�s a great deal for Nike but it�s a really strange setup. It means that Nike can�t hide behind the fact that the fact that their suit isn�t as good.

You were beaten by Zhuang Yong of China in 1992 amid a steroid controversy. A few months later, 9 members of that China team tested positive for steroids. Do you think the system has gotten better since then?
I don�t think it�s perfect. I think there are cheaters out there and they are always one step ahead of the testing

I complained in �92 that the gold medalist in my event never got tested. It should have been a given that all medalsits got tested, not just random swimmers. I�m happy that I was able to help change that.

But even with the required testing, there are still ways around it.
You�re right, I don�t think the testing is keeping up with the cheating. Pretty soon, cheating is going to evolve into molecular biology and genetics and I don�t think the system is even close to being able to handle that.

I got a chance to talk to Dick Pound of the World Anti-Doping Agency a few months ago, and he admitted that if steroids weren�t against the rules, he wouldn�t have a problem with athletes using them. I thought that was absurd, but as an athlete do you agree with him?
I don�t agree with that at all. I�ve done research myself on the effects of steroids. I don�t think that sports, which is something that promotes health and wellness, should allow something that in effect, shortens your life.

Well, one could say that the organic stress some athletes, like football players, put on their body isn�t healthy either.
There are a lot of things in sports that aren�t particularly good for you.  A lot of sports are allowing their players to use steroids just by way of inaction. They know there�s a problem, but it�s treated as �don�t ask, don�t tell�. It�s being swept under the rug. The Olympics, while not perfect, spend a lot more effort in trying to keep the cheating out of the game.

It would be a sad day if they ever decide to legalize steroids in the Olympics

There�s been a lot of controversy surrounding the Olympics in China. As an Olympian yourself, how do you feel about the IOC handing China the Olympics, knowing China�s social history?
What kinds of controversy?

Well, for one, the journalists covering the events will have limited access to certain information on the internet, hindering their research and reporting. And there has also been some concern by the athletes about China�s air quality. That's just the beginning of it.
Well, I guess my opinion on that is that it�s a completely different culture that we, as westerners, don�t understand. I don�t think imposing our ways on another culture is right.

As far as the access to information though, no one should be limited to what kind of information they can get. It�s a tough balance, trying to respect their culture while making sure the Games are successful.

That�s kind of what the Olympics is about. It has become a corporate monster.
That�s so true. It�s like �We�re going to impose this corporate Olympic monstrosity on your city� and what happens is that city loses its individuality.

That happened with Barcelona. I was there for competion in 1992 but when I went back on my own in 2003, it was a completely different city. There were so many charming things about the city that weren�t seen when the Olympics were there.  

Do you have specific plans for when you�re there this year?
I�m going to see swimming, of course. And I�m also going to check out some of the volleyball.

I do plan on spending time with Right to Play, an organization I�m involved with. They have presence in hundreds of underdeveloped countries and are bringing sports to kids all around the world. We�re going to have a live auction on Ebay and we�ll be doing some promoting at the games. It makes such a difference to bring sports to kids� lives.

Well, you know you�re always welcome to come back and write about your experiences on our site.
Thanks! Actually, that�d be a good way to tell the stories of the kids we meet in these countries.

Awesome. We look forward to hearing about it! Thanks for taking the time to talk.
No problem!