This is my understanding of the rule:
As long as you can make the qualifying time, there's really no need to try to actually make it before the meet. Therefore, if your best 50 free time is three-tenths off the qualifying time, you can actually enter nationals at the qualifying time, and hope you swim faster than the qualifying time at nationals in order for it to be officially recognized in results.
So, Paul, if you're so close to the NQT in those three events, my suggestion is to enter at the qualifying time, pick three bonus events and train your butt off until taper for Austin.
Masters, unlike USAS, does not have a proof-of-time system in place to make sure every swimmer has swum faster than the qualifying time. It's on the honor system.
So, I wouldn't try to taper for a meet a month from nationals to "make the cut," then not be able to get back into form for nationals and not make the time.
Of course, if the situation is different, I ask for people to tell me so.
I've been wondering if times achieved at USA Swimming meets can count towards USMS NQT's. I have a USA Swimming membership so that I can attend some of the meets at great pools in my area. It's almost all teenagers but the competition is good. Does anyone know if these times can be used as USMS NQT's?
Paul: Your assumption is correct. You can swim an extra 3 events on top of the ones you have NQT's for.
Jeff,
I understand what you are saying but that just seems wrong. My outlook is that QTs are QTs, you either make them before the meet that has them or you don't. But that's just me.
Paul
Tropical Splash = hot water and very early
Naval Academy = not bad, best pool in MD series
USA Jan. Open = fast pool at PG County Complex often used for age group JOs
USA times count. (If you want the times to count for masters/TT purposes, you need to send hytek meet result link to LMSC registrar or possibly do some paperwork.) But even if you don't, you've swum the times and you should enter based on those times. You've got a date that you swam them that can be verified.
Yeah, I'm targeting the Jan Open for 50 and 100 Free. Unfortunately they don't have 50 Fly there for us 'sprinters' :-) AND 50 and 100 free are on different days :dunno: so it might just be 50 Free and I try to hit 100 Free and 50 Fly at another meet somewhere.
Paul
I'm confused....
I thought that even if you swam a non qualifying time at Nationals it is recorded in the results. FINA Master Worlds does not record your time if it is below the posted qualifying times. At least this was the case in 2006.
I also don't understand why everyone gets so hung up on the NQT's. I didn't qualify the first year I went down, swam 3 events and had a blast. It gives you incentive to work harder. I now qualify in more than 2 events.... I think... All I know is that I can swim 6 if I want to.
People forget that this is "MASTERS" not the olympics. We are there to have fun. It's an achievement if you just show up. Most of us have careers and day jobs that do not revolve around swimming.
This is my understanding of the rule:
As long as you can make the qualifying time, there's really no need to try to actually make it before the meet. Therefore, if your best 50 free time is three-tenths off the qualifying time, you can actually enter nationals at the qualifying time, and hope you swim faster than the qualifying time at nationals in order for it to be officially recognized in results.
So, Paul, if you're so close to the NQT in those three events, my suggestion is to enter at the qualifying time, pick three bonus events and train your butt off until taper for Austin.
Masters, unlike USAS, does not have a proof-of-time system in place to make sure every swimmer has swum faster than the qualifying time. It's on the honor system.
So, I wouldn't try to taper for a meet a month from nationals to "make the cut," then not be able to get back into form for nationals and not make the time.
Of course, if the situation is different, I ask for people to tell me so.
I'm confused....
I thought that even if you swam a non qualifying time at Nationals it is recorded in the results. FINA Master Worlds does not record your time if it is below the posted qualifying times. At least this was the case in 2006.
For any USMS Nationals I have seen, final times are published regardless of NQT achieved or not. You are correct about Worlds 06. I believe they put "NS" if you didn't make it. I guess USMS reserves the right to do the same should they so choose.
No one checks the times, except for when the occasional sandbagger gets called out. I think for the most part, people are pretty honest about it, and for those who are on the fence and fudge a bit to swim one extra event, its not going to kill anyone. The more the merrier!
For any USMS Nationals I have seen, final times are published regardless of NQT achieved or not. You are correct about Worlds 06. I believe they put "NS" if you didn't make it. I guess USMS reserves the right to do the same should they so choose.
No one checks the times, except for when the occasional sandbagger gets called out. I think for the most part, people are pretty honest about it, and for those who are on the fence and fudge a bit to swim one extra event, its not going to kill anyone. The more the merrier!
Concur. I don't see any provision in USMS rules that would allow such a change. You always get your official time, qualified or not.
Now at FINA Masters World Champs, no proof of time is required, but if you fail to make the cut, you get charged with an "NT" (you swam the event without disqualification, but did not get an official time). It was news to me when I saw it--I didn't know you could generate an "NT" as a result in Meet Manager as opposed to an NS or SCR.
Even in USA Swimming though, you always get your official time even if you miss the cut. You may be barred from scoring, or you and your club might get fined by the LSC!
Patrick King
I'm confused....
I thought that even if you swam a non qualifying time at Nationals it is recorded in the results. FINA Master Worlds does not record your time if it is below the posted qualifying times. At least this was the case in 2006.
I also don't understand why everyone gets so hung up on the NQT's. I didn't qualify the first year I went down, swam 3 events and had a blast. It gives you incentive to work harder. I now qualify in more than 2 events.... I think... All I know is that I can swim 6 if I want to.
People forget that this is "MASTERS" not the olympics. We are there to have fun. It's an achievement if you just show up. Most of us have careers and day jobs that do not revolve around swimming.
I'm fairly slow, and have always been slow historically in my age groups back in USA Swimming. So I never made any kind of championship meet requiring a cut ever (not even the 12 & Under BB championship meet!), and only made a finals once in my life (when there were less than two heats in the event, and my coach wouldn't let the meet director & referee go from prelims/finals to timed finals). But even for me, it makes the "quest" that much more worth it. Someday when I finally get an NQT and actually go to Nationals, it'll be that much more sweet for me.
But that doesn't necessarily make it less valid or worthwhile for you to go without NQT's and swim up to three events. How many times do you get to swim at a meet with 1500+ swimmers? It has to be a great atmosphere, with the possible exception of getting run over in a warmup lane by people who are as old as my mother ;-). We're in this sport after all because we feel what we get from our achievements makes it worthwhile, and generally not because of what we aren't.
Those are just two of the viewpoints you could take, and I'd say both are equally valid. Whatever makes it rewarding and fun is the way to go.
Patrick King
The fifth event was dropped at LCN in Savannah in 2004. See www.usms.org/.../
Meet Roster and Psych Sheets
Entries for this meet are closed as of July 8. There are 1,084 swimmers entered in the meet. The preliminary meet roster and psych sheets are now available for review.
Due to the size of this meet and the anticipated extended length of the events for each day, the sixth event has been dropped. All swimmers who entered six events for this meet have had their designated sixth event removed from their entry.
