Imagine you get to arrange four swimmers into a freestyle relay team. They are within ~10% difference when it comes to times.
Would you do the most popular arrangement?
1st leg - 2nd fastest swimmer
2nd leg - 3rd fastest swimmer
3rd leg - slowest swimmer
4th leg - fastest swimmer
...or a different one? Would you consider other factors besides speed such as personality, experience, etc.? Does it make a difference if it is 4x50 or 4x200?
So what order would you put them in?
It really depends on how much slower the slower swimmers are.
It's no fun swimming in the wake of others. so if the diff is large usually 1-4 in speed.
if 1 is better than the other 3 but the other 3 can hold their own I like to see the one who usually steps up on relays and can chase down swimmers infront of them. I've seen this type of swimmer go 3-4s under their pb in a 200 fr, 1-2 100 fr .5-1 in a 50. in the 50 it can be the transition start that helps, but in the 100 and 200 it's something else that motivates them to go out hard and not die.
the other factor that can play in is reaction time. some of my swimmers don't gain anything in a relay start so they might as well lead off.
It really depends on how much slower the slower swimmers are.
It's no fun swimming in the wake of others. so if the diff is large usually 1-4 in speed.
if 1 is better than the other 3 but the other 3 can hold their own I like to see the one who usually steps up on relays and can chase down swimmers infront of them. I've seen this type of swimmer go 3-4s under their pb in a 200 fr, 1-2 100 fr .5-1 in a 50. in the 50 it can be the transition start that helps, but in the 100 and 200 it's something else that motivates them to go out hard and not die.
the other factor that can play in is reaction time. some of my swimmers don't gain anything in a relay start so they might as well lead off.
