Has the Championship Committee, or other entity within USMS ever discussed having a more strict policy of enforcement in regards to the NQT's?
Why do we state that you must have 3 cuts, in order to swim more events? Why not require a swimmer to have 6 cuts in order to swim 6 events?
Just like to understand more from a historical point of view. I have read post that asked, or suggested how to control the size and length of the National meets. Would not having a stricter enforcement of this policy help? Or would it cause swimmers to shy away from these meets?
Just a curious thought.
Thank you.
It's been quite some time since I have posted a message on the USMS forum and I have a number of comments related to issues that have come up in this posting.
Thank you, Ian, for attempting to educate those "board posters" who continue to misspell the word "breaststroke"!
An FYI about the length of SC Nationals - in case this hasn't been pointed out elsewhere: I have it on good authority that the timeline is generally predicated on a 15-16% "no-show" rate but the Tempe meet only had an 8% "no-show" rate. That's a significant difference.
New subject: I know many people who swim only 3 events at Nationals since they don't make NQT's. They pay the same flat registration fee as everyone else and the same expenses to travel to the event. And they probably spend more time watching the meet and cheering for friends and teammates than those of us who get to swim 6 events. I know I've been thankful that they are willing to count for the 500 and over races; often heat after heat! I hope we can always include them in our championships. And, in my 31 years of masters swimming I can probably count on one hand the number of "cheating" instances I am aware of. None of them involve cheating on a NQT.
Finally, I wonder if Ion is what coaches often refer to as "uncoachable". I have read the advice given to him for years now. I have seen him swim and offered some advice of my own after the Hawaii meet last year. I saw him again in Tempe and can see no evidence that he has changed his technique (breathing, turns, etc.) for the better. I don't know if he really swims 10K a day (ghads) but I do know that there is more to swimming than yardage. I had some good swims in Tempe (plus one really bad one) and I can promise you the good swims were less related to my VO2 max conditioning than they were related to my technique. In a good week I get in 3 practices of around 3500 meters. A great week is 4! Although I have been a swimmer for about 50 years (ghads again!), I still focus on technique throughout every workout and even most races. Efficiency in the water is truly the key and that becomes more and more important as we get older!
summer cheers!
Sally
It's been quite some time since I have posted a message on the USMS forum and I have a number of comments related to issues that have come up in this posting.
Thank you, Ian, for attempting to educate those "board posters" who continue to misspell the word "breaststroke"!
An FYI about the length of SC Nationals - in case this hasn't been pointed out elsewhere: I have it on good authority that the timeline is generally predicated on a 15-16% "no-show" rate but the Tempe meet only had an 8% "no-show" rate. That's a significant difference.
New subject: I know many people who swim only 3 events at Nationals since they don't make NQT's. They pay the same flat registration fee as everyone else and the same expenses to travel to the event. And they probably spend more time watching the meet and cheering for friends and teammates than those of us who get to swim 6 events. I know I've been thankful that they are willing to count for the 500 and over races; often heat after heat! I hope we can always include them in our championships. And, in my 31 years of masters swimming I can probably count on one hand the number of "cheating" instances I am aware of. None of them involve cheating on a NQT.
Finally, I wonder if Ion is what coaches often refer to as "uncoachable". I have read the advice given to him for years now. I have seen him swim and offered some advice of my own after the Hawaii meet last year. I saw him again in Tempe and can see no evidence that he has changed his technique (breathing, turns, etc.) for the better. I don't know if he really swims 10K a day (ghads) but I do know that there is more to swimming than yardage. I had some good swims in Tempe (plus one really bad one) and I can promise you the good swims were less related to my VO2 max conditioning than they were related to my technique. In a good week I get in 3 practices of around 3500 meters. A great week is 4! Although I have been a swimmer for about 50 years (ghads again!), I still focus on technique throughout every workout and even most races. Efficiency in the water is truly the key and that becomes more and more important as we get older!
summer cheers!
Sally
