Is there a specific "rule" (unwritten or otherwise) regarding swimming non-freestyle in a freestyle event? I've entered myself in the 500 free at a meet tomorrow with the intent of doing a 400IM (there's no separate 400IM event at this meet). It's not going to be a "good" 400IM (in fact I'm sure it's going to be very, very bad), I don't need an official split time, I just want to check it off The List for my own personal check-off challenge before I get stuck having to do it long course.
Do I:
a) Inform someone at the check-in for the 500
b) Inform some other official (whom?)
c) Tell the other swimmers in my heat so they don't freak out when one guy is suddenly going out way too fast for a seven-minute 500, and butterfly at that
d) Just keep my mouth shut and do it
e) Some combination of the above
It is a freestyle event so the rules of freestyle apply and the time will count as a 500 free, unless you get out at the 400 in which case the swim won't count and you will be DQ'd.
I would tell everyone within ear and eye shot what you are going to do, especially those beside you and maybe even the head ref. It isn't required.
I think the only two poor forms of etiquette when doing this are:
1. Putting an unrealistic seed time and finishing well before or after your heat mates.
2. Getting out at the 400 simply because you can. Hit the wall at the 400 and then do an easy 100 to finish.
See you tomorrow at the meet I suspect. Best of luck.
There is no written rule. But I suggest you:
- inform the referee (the person standing next to the starter, blowing the whistle)
- mention it to the swimmers next to you in the heat
- make sure you swim the entire 500
Note: As long as you don’t violate freestyle rules, you can’t be DQ’ed for stroke infractions. E.g. you can legally 1-hand fly/*** turns, etc.
It is a freestyle event so the rules of freestyle apply and the time will count as a 500 free, unless you get out at the 400 in which case the swim won't count and you will be DQ'd.
Ok cool, that's what I thought.
1. Putting an unrealistic seed time and finishing well before or after your heat mates.
2. Getting out at the 400 simply because you can. Hit the wall at the 400 and then do an easy 100 to finish.
I seeded myself with seven minutes... the more I think about it, the more pessimistic I get (yes, sprinter whining), but I think it's realistic enough. My last (and only) 200IM was just under a 2:30, so I doubled that, added some padding for even more abominable breaststroke and tacked on another 1:30 for the last 100. If I go under 7, I'll be satisfied, and if not, well, all the more reason to never do it again :)
As long as you don’t violate freestyle rules, you can’t be DQ’ed for stroke infractions. E.g. you can legally 1-hand fly/*** turns, etc.
No worries there. I'm going to do everything as legally as possible.
Distance swimmers might hate you afterwards though because it messes up their "pace". Whatever that is. :P
Well, when they're lapping me while I'm swimming backstroke and breaststroke, they can feel really fast :)
Freestylers should not have an issue... they are the only stroke where the rules come down to:
Stay off the bottom
Touch the wall at each end
It is perfectly legal to stand on the bottom of the pool in freestyle.
Standing on the bottom during a freestyle race shall not disqualify a swimmer, but a swimmer must not leave the pool, or walk, or spring from the bottom. Standing on the bottom during any other stroke shall result in disqualification. But, since it is freestyle, you can stop during any of the strokes you are doing and hang out and catch your breath.
Standing on the bottom during a freestyle race shall not disqualify a swimmer, but a swimmer must not leave the pool, or walk, or spring from the bottom.
Sweet. Although, just knowing that I'm allowed to stop and stand around is going to drastically increase the likelihood of there being a guy stopped in the middle of the pool during one of the 500 heats at Greensboro tomorrow. I expect that the pool will be too deep for me to effectively stand, though :(
Freestylers should not have an issue... they are the only stroke where the rules come down to:
Stay off the bottom
Touch the wall at each end
Don't forget the 15m rule. I have seen someone DQ'd swimming breaststroke during a freestyle race because the swimmer's whole body went under (as the breaststroke rules permit) during the last 10m of a length.
You may not care, as long as the swim gives you the information you need. After all, even if you do not DQ it will go down in your USMS Permanent Record as a meh 500 rather than as a fantastic 400IM + 100EZ. I have a lot of 50s and 100s "free" in the USMS database that are really 50s and 100s backstroke. Just let others know, and no one will mind that you get what you want out of the swim.
I have seen someone DQ'd swimming breaststroke during a freestyle race because the swimmer's whole body went under (as the breaststroke rules permit) during the last 10m of a length.
Yeah, my breaststroke is nowhere near good enough to do that. I'm not even going to attempt any of that newfangled underwater pull and kick stuff. Just push off, maybe glide until I need air (two seconds, tops), and start "swimming" "breaststroke".
fantastic 400IM
For me, just having finished it will be fantastic enough :D
Sickfish -- I'm doing essentially the same thing at a meet on March 11th, swimming the 400 IM in a 1000 free event because the meet organizers saw fit to add silly, illegitimate 25s* into the meet program instead of the 400 IM!
I'm doing what Rob suggests:
- inform the referee (the person standing next to the starter, blowing the whistle)
- mention it to the swimmers next to you in the heat
- make sure you swim the entire 500
*To show my support for the illegitimate events, though, I'll be racing my 25 fly and 25 free in the greatest swimsuit ever invented (blueseventy.com/.../).
