It would be wonderful if both Janet Evans and Misty Hyman could be in the meet. However, from the organizational view of a very large meet, the lever has to fall at some point to not allow anyone else to enter due to seeding, meeting printing deadlines for the program, etc.
With all due respect to Olympians and what they do for the sport of swimming, if we let them in late, we have opened the flood gates and have to let everyone else in who was late. The precedent for a nationals can be deadly and result in numerous protests, etc. If somehow it was done in Mission Viejo (and I don't know any details about that but will check it out), it should not have been done. There may also be something that you do not know about the entries for that meet.
It's my understanding that Janet did not submit her entry before the deadline. The same fate befell Misty Hyman as well, though Rob Butcher has told me she will be at the meet working with the video crew.
C'mon. How does a message about your intent to race at USMS Nationals get out multiple months in advance of the meet and then you miss the entry deadline? If they really intended to race and missed the entry deadline, so be it. I, for one, would love to see both Janet and Misty race, but I'm pretty sure Cullen Jones, Nick Brunelli and Mark Gangloff got their entries in on time last year for Atlanta, so it is possible for elite athletes to comply with the rules the rest of us follow. I also know that meets had entry deadlines back when Janet and Misty both raced in the last century, so it's not a foreign concept.
Deadline schmeadline...none of this stopped them from letting Gary Hall Jr. deck enter at Mission Viejo Nats 2004.:)
Oh, Kurt, you're still not over that Arizona HS debacle last fall with entry formats, deadlines, etc.
:hijack:
I just wanted to let geek and wook know that I just got my Swimmer magazine. Because I've never met you, I didn't know what you looked like. You guys are adorable. :agree:
I totally agree, both very cute!
so it is possible for elite athletes to comply with the rules the rest of us follow.
Amen. Sorry, they don't deserve a free pass. I'd love to see them swim, but I expect them to enter the meet like everyone else. Rowdy always seems to get himself entered, just as one example.
I Anyone that swam, was entered on time.
Apologies for spreading nasty rumors. It would be cool to have Misty there...her 200 Fly at the Olympics brought tears to my eyes. I remember Janet Evan's first Junior Nationals was my first. Her 1650 was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. Rules are good I suppose...I am ok with celebrity exceptions though...athletic darwinism I think they call it.
I was the championship liaison to the 2004 Mission Viejo meet. Gary Hall did not deck enter the meet. Anyone that swam, was entered on time. Starting a year before that, the national office handled all entries for our championship meets. That has provided consistency in handling entries over the years.
