I was planning on heading to Omaha for summer nationals and just noticed that the 400 free, 100 back, 200 free, and 200 IM are all on the same
day - Sunday. I think most folks that swim free also swim back and IM? This is a pretty heavy load for one day. Is this just me and couldn't these events be spread across other days where it would be more evenly spread?
Pretty much every meet I'm going to this year has fly events immediately after free events. I tried at a long course meet last year to do a 200 fly immediately (less than 10 minutes) after a 100 free, and let's just say it didn't go well. Don't most people who do free also do fly? ;)
Like the post above says, it's different at nationals because there are so many swimmers you'd have a really hard time finding two races where you don't have at least a good 30 minutes to recover.
I suspect that most everyone has their own version of this, since so many people do (one thing) + (something else). I figure it's just the luck of the draw this year; in other years it will be the free + breastroke swimmers that get to try to do their events back-to-back.
I agree with Chris on the ability to swim back-to-back events at nationals. You usually have 45 minutes to an hour between events.
However, I have a feeling the downtime will be longer in Omaha. I suspect we'll see more than 1,000 swimmers, and even if they start from both ends of the pool, the days will run pretty long.
There's plenty of time between events, but still no one wants to swim four events in a day. The unusual thing to me is that the 200 and 400 free are on the same day, but I know the order of events is always a "you can please some of the people some of the time..." proposition.
Personally I want to see Clarke swim all four events that day. :)
Another option is swimming one or more of your races in a longer event and getting a split request. I've never done it at nationals but I often do it at our state meet where there isn't much time between back-to-back events. I've gotten in a 100 fly at the beginning of a 400 IM and a 200 free at the beginning of the 1,000. You could do your 100 back at the front end of the 200 back and your 200 or 400 free during the 1,000 on distance day. Just make sure of 3 things: swim the remainder of your race legally; enter a seed time that accurately reflects what you'll eventually go for the entire race and notify the officials and the swimmers in the lanes adjacent to you so they don't freak out when you take off at the very beginning.
Actually, he can't. At our national championships you are limited to a maximum of 3 individual events a day.
You had to go and spoil it, didn't you?
I'm curious now what the rationale for this rule is. Why can't someone swim four events in a day?
Why can't someone swim four events in a day?
I just completed a few hours of investigating this and I found it in paragraph 4, subsection 20 of the USMS General Code aka The Swimma Carta. It is also called "the sprinters addendum." Specifically since sprinters can't do 4 events over the course of a month they lobbied matysekj, who immediately caved, that no one should be able to do four events a day. Reliable sources have indicated that for his acquiescence he was given a pink thong Speedo.
Another option is swimming one or more of your races in a longer event and getting a split request. I've never done it at nationals but I often do it at our state meet where there isn't much time between back-to-back events. I've gotten in a 100 fly at the beginning of a 400 IM and a 200 free at the beginning of the 1,000. You could do your 100 back at the front end of the 200 back and your 200 or 400 free during the 1,000 on distance day. Just make sure of 3 things: swim the remainder of your race legally; enter a seed time that accurately reflects what you'll eventually go for the entire race and notify the officials and the swimmers in the lanes adjacent to you so they don't freak out when you take off at the very beginning.
Following the sprinters addendum/credo, I use split requests fairly often to avoid back to back events or give me the hours and hours of rest I need to recover fully. I've done it at Nationals and Zones as well. In my experience, and not falling into the cclarke mode, fly and back sprints are often back to back. Though I have noticed a trend in meets I entered in 2011 for the 100 fly and 50 free to be back to back. And I will not climb on the blocks for a 50 free right after an exhausting and seemingly endless 100 fly.
I sent Matysekj coffee beans and jolt gum.
It has been proven that it takes longer to get your lactic acid back to normal after a sprint than after a distance event, so of course sprinters need more rest.
(insert generic sprinters vs distance swimmer comment here.:bolt:)
We used to say in college "Never send a sprinter in to do a man's job" - still holds true today! :bliss:
Nationals is unique in this regard. The rules state that one must request splits so that they may be submitted for top ten consideration; technically speaking, backstroke splits and all relay leadoffs must be requested before the event (so that the S&T judges can verify a legal backstroke finish or that the 2nd relay swimmer doesn't start in the water or otherwise interfere with the finish) while other split requests can be submitted anytime before the end of the meet.
Thanks for the info and contact here I will definitely look into this as I firm up my schedule of events for Omaha.
Since we are using Omega pads and cameras for timing we only have one finish end. So the 50’s will start from the far end and all other races will start and finish at the near end.
I hope this is plainly, clearly, and loudly marked at the meet. I saw one older gentleman at the last LCM nats at Auburn who did not understand this, and he missed his heat. It was sad.
