Thompson renews stance on cuts

Olympic swimmer Jenny Thompson last week amplified her criticism of the University of New Hampshire's decision to eliminate four varsity sports, including its men's swimming program, saying, ''The largest university in the state should be finding a way to support existing sports."

''I think that all of the sports, including revenue-generating ones, need to cut some fat on the edges when times are tight," Thompson said in an e-mail reply to questions. ''That may mean hockey, basketball, and football have to cut their budgets to support the other sports."

Thompson, whose 12 medals, eight of them gold, are the most ever won by a US Olympian, rejected an award last month from the UNH Alumni Association to protest the cuts.

The Charles Holmes Pettee Medal is given annually to people who have brought recognition to the state or the university. Thompson, 33, grew up in nearby Dover but did not attend UNH; she received her undergraduate degree from Stanford in California and is pursuing a medical degree at New York's Columbia University.

UNH said the cuts were necessary to address a ballooning $1 million deficit in its athletic department. Besides men's swimming, the school dropped men's and women's tennis and women's crew, and reduced the men's ski program. Women's swimming will remain a varsity sport.

In her e-mail, Thompson said universities are ''about diversity of people and activities. To say that it's only worth supporting the sports which generate money is missing the boat."

Citing her own experience of using her swimming success as a springboard to other opportunities, Thompson said the elimination of varsity sports programs is a blow to young people in New Hampshire.

''A scholar will not be a scholar without the availability of books and teachers. An NCAA athlete will not reach their potential without coaches, facilities, or support from the university."

Athletic director Marty Scarano said he was ''disappointed" by Thompson's response to the cuts. He suggested that officials at USA Swimming, the governing body for the sport, may have prodded her to speak out.

On Monday, Thompson said her decision to criticize the school was ''made entirely on my own . . . I felt that rejecting the award was an appropriate way to demonstrate my feelings."

Thompson also pointed out that two women on the UNH swim team qualified for the NCAA championships this year, an achievement that she said ''is a testament to their training, focus, and coaching. Next year, those two NCAA qualifiers could have been" from the men's swim team.