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!
You are right. This is just my personal view on my competitions. I'd prefer to "get my money's worth" out of a competition. Not necessarily only swimming the longest events, but I don't like to travel across the state to do four 50s and a 100 IM either.
Too funny. I am in the totally opposite camp and think that doing ONE 50 in an entire meet is worthwhile. Otherwise, swimming a bunch of events cuts into my Doin' Nuthin' / Napping in my Deck Chair time. And to me it's not just about swimming fast, it's about getting early dibs on the showers and leaving a meet before the last event so I can go out to eat that much faster.
There are quite a few meets that offer 25's, you just have to look for them! Or, even better, take the initiative to host a meet with 25's!
You are right. This is just my personal view on my competitions. I'd prefer to "get my money's worth" out of a competition. Not necessarily only swimming the longest events, but I don't like to travel across the state to do four 50s and a 100 IM either.
Too funny. I am in the totally opposite camp and think that doing ONE 50 in an entire meet is worthwhile. Otherwise, swimming a bunch of events cuts into my Doin' Nuthin' / Napping in my Deck Chair time. And to me it's not just about swimming fast, it's about getting early dibs on the showers and leaving a meet before the last event so I can go out to eat that much faster.
There are quite a few meets that offer 25's, you just have to look for them! Or, even better, take the initiative to host a meet with 25's!
