So three hand timers, with human reflexes and nerve transmission speeds from the visual and auditory parts of the brain, are considered (when averaged) more reliable for accuracy that a pool that uses electronic timing but is 1/4" longer?
I agree it doesn't make much sense, but that's the current rule. I timed at a meet last weekend and checked my hand times versus the readout board. I was almost always a hair over. I'd say my time was usually .05-.10 seconds over the electronic time. A couple times I was right on, but usually I was over.
One thing that could be done is allow pools that are shorter than the nominal length, but require a correction to the times done in these pools. Just as a suggestion, allow 25 yard pools to be as much as one inch short, BUT if they are short add an amount equal to how long it would take to swim the additional distance at the average speed the swimmer swum the race.
Here's an example. Let's say a swimmer swam a 100 yard race in exactly 1:00.00. The pool was measured to be one inch short. For a 25 yard pool that would be four inches total for the four length race. The swimmer's average speed was 4.994 feet/sec (299 and 2/3 feet in 60 seconds) so it would take an extra .067 seconds to make up the additional 4 inches. Add the correction and the official time becomes 1:00.07.
So three hand timers, with human reflexes and nerve transmission speeds from the visual and auditory parts of the brain, are considered (when averaged) more reliable for accuracy that a pool that uses electronic timing but is 1/4" longer?
I agree it doesn't make much sense, but that's the current rule. I timed at a meet last weekend and checked my hand times versus the readout board. I was almost always a hair over. I'd say my time was usually .05-.10 seconds over the electronic time. A couple times I was right on, but usually I was over.
One thing that could be done is allow pools that are shorter than the nominal length, but require a correction to the times done in these pools. Just as a suggestion, allow 25 yard pools to be as much as one inch short, BUT if they are short add an amount equal to how long it would take to swim the additional distance at the average speed the swimmer swum the race.
Here's an example. Let's say a swimmer swam a 100 yard race in exactly 1:00.00. The pool was measured to be one inch short. For a 25 yard pool that would be four inches total for the four length race. The swimmer's average speed was 4.994 feet/sec (299 and 2/3 feet in 60 seconds) so it would take an extra .067 seconds to make up the additional 4 inches. Add the correction and the official time becomes 1:00.07.
