These times are amazing:
Kyle van Niekerk - 13 year old!
His results were as follows:
100m Free: Gold in a winning time of 53.89 – New African and South African AG Record
50m Free: Gold in a winning time of 24.69 – a New African and South African AG Record and the fastest recorded time in the world for 13- year- olds during 2011.
Yes these are long course meters. Puts it all in perspective for us geezers :cane:
Ande, do guys at this level taper for their conference championships or NCAAs or both?
Do most of the top swimmers do better at NCAAs, or are intraconference rivalries so strong that they try to peak for their conference championships?
Or are they in such great shape it doesn't matter?
Depends, NCAAs is different than it used to be.
Each event used to have 1 cut and if you made it, you were in the meet. Unless you had too many people on your team make it. they can only take 18 swimmers & divers count 1/2. so 17 swimmers & 2 divers.
Now there are A cuts and B cuts and a crazy formula that limits the number of swimmers in the meet to 270 (i think)
If you make the A cut you're in no matter what.
if you make the B cut you might be in the meet. Most swimmers get in the meet by way of relay. So if you're on a relay and it's time gets in, you can swim 3 events if you have the B cut.
Coaches want to make sure their swimmers make NCAAs, but some swimmers don't need to rest much or shave to do it. Nolan can make NCAAs unshaved unrested so his focus is to peak for NCAAs.
Conference is important to some coaches and some look at it as the meet to make NCAA cuts oh and they happen to keep score. Some conferences are very competitive and there are strong rivalries, like the SEC or Pac 12.
Eddie focuses on NCAAs, this year it's NCAAs and trials. Usually when NCAAs are over swimmers have a week off or an easy week but with US Olympic trials so close I bet they get right back to work.
Ande, do guys at this level taper for their conference championships or NCAAs or both?
Do most of the top swimmers do better at NCAAs, or are intraconference rivalries so strong that they try to peak for their conference championships?
Or are they in such great shape it doesn't matter?
Depends, NCAAs is different than it used to be.
Each event used to have 1 cut and if you made it, you were in the meet. Unless you had too many people on your team make it. they can only take 18 swimmers & divers count 1/2. so 17 swimmers & 2 divers.
Now there are A cuts and B cuts and a crazy formula that limits the number of swimmers in the meet to 270 (i think)
If you make the A cut you're in no matter what.
if you make the B cut you might be in the meet. Most swimmers get in the meet by way of relay. So if you're on a relay and it's time gets in, you can swim 3 events if you have the B cut.
Coaches want to make sure their swimmers make NCAAs, but some swimmers don't need to rest much or shave to do it. Nolan can make NCAAs unshaved unrested so his focus is to peak for NCAAs.
Conference is important to some coaches and some look at it as the meet to make NCAA cuts oh and they happen to keep score. Some conferences are very competitive and there are strong rivalries, like the SEC or Pac 12.
Eddie focuses on NCAAs, this year it's NCAAs and trials. Usually when NCAAs are over swimmers have a week off or an easy week but with US Olympic trials so close I bet they get right back to work.
