Full disclosure: I am a pure (i.e. "drop dead") sprinter :)]
Watching Track & Field, I'm always struck how they offer what can truly be described as "pure" sprints: the 100m dash (and in indoors, the 60m). These are races that time sub-10 and sub-7 seconds at the elite level. Yet swimming's shortest race is 21 seconds (for the rest of us, quite a bit more than 21 seconds ...).
I was speaking with some sprint swimming coaches who agreed that even our "splash & dash" 50 free is not a true sprint ... it's close, but the best sprinters actually back off a tiny fraction from their absolute max to maintain a greater speed overall. At my USMS level, the winning times are in the low 25's. There's no way that's a true sprint -- 25 seconds is not entirely ATP-fueled. And while it's mostly anaerobic, is it entirely? Certainly a sub-10 or sub-7 race would be.
Time-wise, our 50 parallels Track & Field's 200 rather than their marquee sprint, the 100.
In my fantasy world, I imagine a 25m race at the international level (swimming through the finish like Track & Field athletes) ... fastest reaction, fastest acceleration, fastest underwater & surface, fastest ABSOLUTE speed.
Before 1988, our "shortest" Olympic race was the 100m!
Masters should offer 25's and keep 25 records.
Let's make it happen.
I'd like to see 400's of stroke and an 800 im.
There's been a bunch of discussion about this lately. What needs to change is Rule 102.5 in Part 1: Swimming Rules. (additions in green)
102.5 Events
102.5.1 Short Course (25) Yards
25-50-100-200-500-1000-1650 yards freestyle
25-50-100-200-500-1000-1650 yards backstroke
25-50-100-200-500-1000-1650 yards breaststroke
25-50-100-200-500-1000-1650 yards butterfly
100-200-400-800 yards individual medley
200-400-800 yards freestyle relay
200-400-800 yards mixed freestyle relay
200-400 yards medley relay
200-400 yards mixed medley relay
102.5.2 Long Course (50) Meters and Short Course (25) Meters
25*-50-100-200-400-800-1500 meters freestyle
25*-50-100-200-400-800-1500 meters backstroke
25*-50-100-200-400-800-1500 meters breaststroke
25*-50-100-200-400-800-1500 meters butterfly
100*-200-400-800 meters individual medley
200-400-800 meters freestyle relay
200-400-800 meters mixed freestyle relay
200-400 meters medley relay
200-400 meters mixed medley relay
*short course meters only
Note: For nonconforming events see article 202.1.1F(3).
Part 6: Amendment Procedures explains how to go about this:
601.1.5 Rules Committee—Proposed changes to Part 1: Swimming Rules and the Glossary shall be considered by the Rules Committee for report and recommendation to the House of Delegates.
601.2.4 Publication of Proposed Amendments—All proposed changes shall be published and distributed to each LMSC and each member of the House of Delegates not later than August 15.
601.4 Adoption Of Proposed Amendments
The USMS Code of Regulations and Rules of Competition may only be altered, amended, repealed or otherwise changed at the annual meeting of the House of Delegates and only as follows:
601.4.1 Rules—In even-numbered years, Part 1 and the Glossary may be amended by a majority vote of the House of Delegates members present and voting if the proposed amendments are submitted to and recommended by the Rules Committee, or by a two-thirds vote of the House of Delegates members present and voting if the proposed amendments are submitted to and NOT recommended by the Rules Committee.
So the next window of opportunity to vote on this change is the 2014 Convention. According to the latest minutes, there are some forumites on the Rules Committee. Rules Committee members, how does a change get proposed to the Rules Committee for consideration?
Other interesting bits:
102.10.1 Seeding Principles for Masters Competition
B Age groups, genders and events of the same distance 200 yards or longer may be combined so that no swimmer has to swim alone and lanes may be filled.
Part 2: Administrative Regulations of Competition
Masters should offer 25's and keep 25 records.
Let's make it happen.
I'd like to see 400's of stroke and an 800 im.
There's been a bunch of discussion about this lately. What needs to change is Rule 102.5 in Part 1: Swimming Rules. (additions in green)
102.5 Events
102.5.1 Short Course (25) Yards
25-50-100-200-500-1000-1650 yards freestyle
25-50-100-200-500-1000-1650 yards backstroke
25-50-100-200-500-1000-1650 yards breaststroke
25-50-100-200-500-1000-1650 yards butterfly
100-200-400-800 yards individual medley
200-400-800 yards freestyle relay
200-400-800 yards mixed freestyle relay
200-400 yards medley relay
200-400 yards mixed medley relay
102.5.2 Long Course (50) Meters and Short Course (25) Meters
25*-50-100-200-400-800-1500 meters freestyle
25*-50-100-200-400-800-1500 meters backstroke
25*-50-100-200-400-800-1500 meters breaststroke
25*-50-100-200-400-800-1500 meters butterfly
100*-200-400-800 meters individual medley
200-400-800 meters freestyle relay
200-400-800 meters mixed freestyle relay
200-400 meters medley relay
200-400 meters mixed medley relay
*short course meters only
Note: For nonconforming events see article 202.1.1F(3).
Part 6: Amendment Procedures explains how to go about this:
601.1.5 Rules Committee—Proposed changes to Part 1: Swimming Rules and the Glossary shall be considered by the Rules Committee for report and recommendation to the House of Delegates.
601.2.4 Publication of Proposed Amendments—All proposed changes shall be published and distributed to each LMSC and each member of the House of Delegates not later than August 15.
601.4 Adoption Of Proposed Amendments
The USMS Code of Regulations and Rules of Competition may only be altered, amended, repealed or otherwise changed at the annual meeting of the House of Delegates and only as follows:
601.4.1 Rules—In even-numbered years, Part 1 and the Glossary may be amended by a majority vote of the House of Delegates members present and voting if the proposed amendments are submitted to and recommended by the Rules Committee, or by a two-thirds vote of the House of Delegates members present and voting if the proposed amendments are submitted to and NOT recommended by the Rules Committee.
So the next window of opportunity to vote on this change is the 2014 Convention. According to the latest minutes, there are some forumites on the Rules Committee. Rules Committee members, how does a change get proposed to the Rules Committee for consideration?
Other interesting bits:
102.10.1 Seeding Principles for Masters Competition
B Age groups, genders and events of the same distance 200 yards or longer may be combined so that no swimmer has to swim alone and lanes may be filled.
Part 2: Administrative Regulations of Competition
