The main reason that women's breastroke drop from a cut off of 1:20 in 1993 versus 1:17 in the 100 yard for the top ten times is that a different generation is a little faster than those that swam in the 1960's as kids. So the person who was top ten at 1:17 this year, swam faster than last year. The national qualifying time was 1:27 which was 10 seconds slower and as you stated Matt, this is a three year average and it takes time for this to drop. On the other hand, the 200 yard is a lot slower for qualifying times because us masters have trouble swimming good 200 swims outside of freestyle. As for what the time was in 1993 for 100 yard breastroke for national qualfying I don't know. I just play around the computer and look at the preceding top 10 times going back in time. However, I'm not currently able to find this. I also think that 100 yard fly for 45 to 49 women drop from 1:10 to 1:07 during the same time period.
Back then, the NQTs were simply 10% slower than the 10th place time in the USMS Top Ten for each age group in each event.
The first NQTs were determined by "Time standards shall be based on the slowest tenth best time in each event from the previous three year's National Championship Meets. There shall be no time standards when there is no tenth best time for that age group in that event." 104.4.3.C.1 (change was made in 1990 to go into effect Jan 1, 1992) (it sure helps when you have a rule book from 1991).
With the above standard, there were NQTs all over the board as it took the slowest time from the past three years. It was soon modified.
I believed this was changed in 1994 to taking the 10th fastest time for each event in each age group then adding 10% to that time. SCY times tended to remain fairly stable (but trending downward -faster) in the age groups up to 69. LCM times would tend to have some year to year variantion especially in less popular events (ie 200fly and 400IM).
In 2000, a change was made to take the a three year average of the 10th fastest time of the previous three years for each event for each age group. This had the effect of stablizing some the events where there fewer competitors. As I have mentioned the leading edge of the boomers has also driven down the NQTs in the age group which they are entering. The three year averaging also had the effect of mitigating the drop in the NQTs.
The earliest NQT that I could find on the USMS web site is for 1998
1998 NQT
You might want to look at the 2003 NQTs and the 1998 NQTs as the have the same populations just one age group older. You can see how a population ages.
I respectfully disagree with the editor of Swim Magazine, the NQTs have gotten faster over the years. I have the spread sheets of the NQTs from 1993 to 1997 - a five year comparison I did for the Championship Committee that show a downward trend in times. I have filled it in with some more recent numbers. While there are some NQTs that have gone up, the trend is downward (faster).
michael
Back then, the NQTs were simply 10% slower than the 10th place time in the USMS Top Ten for each age group in each event.
The first NQTs were determined by "Time standards shall be based on the slowest tenth best time in each event from the previous three year's National Championship Meets. There shall be no time standards when there is no tenth best time for that age group in that event." 104.4.3.C.1 (change was made in 1990 to go into effect Jan 1, 1992) (it sure helps when you have a rule book from 1991).
With the above standard, there were NQTs all over the board as it took the slowest time from the past three years. It was soon modified.
I believed this was changed in 1994 to taking the 10th fastest time for each event in each age group then adding 10% to that time. SCY times tended to remain fairly stable (but trending downward -faster) in the age groups up to 69. LCM times would tend to have some year to year variantion especially in less popular events (ie 200fly and 400IM).
In 2000, a change was made to take the a three year average of the 10th fastest time of the previous three years for each event for each age group. This had the effect of stablizing some the events where there fewer competitors. As I have mentioned the leading edge of the boomers has also driven down the NQTs in the age group which they are entering. The three year averaging also had the effect of mitigating the drop in the NQTs.
The earliest NQT that I could find on the USMS web site is for 1998
1998 NQT
You might want to look at the 2003 NQTs and the 1998 NQTs as the have the same populations just one age group older. You can see how a population ages.
I respectfully disagree with the editor of Swim Magazine, the NQTs have gotten faster over the years. I have the spread sheets of the NQTs from 1993 to 1997 - a five year comparison I did for the Championship Committee that show a downward trend in times. I have filled it in with some more recent numbers. While there are some NQTs that have gone up, the trend is downward (faster).
michael
