FINA NEWS is a thread to share & talk about FINA, rulings, rules, events, ...
What's Next for FINA?
Priorities Should Include
Women's 1500 Free,
Underwater Video Judging at Olympics;
IOC Not Considering 50s Now
-- August 22, 2012
Like, the FINA age rule is dumb and unfair. Why do they have it? To compete in an age group, swimmers should actually BE that age. USMS got it right for SCY and FINA didn't. It might be fair for swimmers to compete in a meet in a certain age group if they are that age by the end of the meet.
Should USMS align rules with FINA about age & relays?
FINA relays add up ages, 72 - 99, 100 - 119, 120 - 159, 160 - 199, 200 - 239 ...
USMS relays base it off the age of the youngest swimmer on the relay
18+, 25+, 35+, 45+, 55+ ...
There are going to be bad birthdays either way, I don't think one rule is better than the other for this. For example, my son has a Feb birthday, before championship season, meaning he is always competing with kids mostly older than him in those meets.
I feel his pain. When I was an age group swimmer, my birthday was always the week before our championships. I was never at the "top" of an age group for the championship. Tell your son that he will finally get revenge when he is a USMS swimmer when he will age up just before spring nationals.
Internationally this rule has been the case a long time, I think. When I was 12 and we moved abroad in the late 70s, it was the rule used. I don't see it changing anytime soon.
Of course, maybe your son will be incredibly unlucky and USMS will switch to the FINA rules just when he is about to start masters swimming, so he can again get sc#$%*d by his birthday.
In principle, I agree with the sentiment that the FINA rule is fundamentally wrong because some people get to age-up almost a year before they really age-up biologically. On the other hand, I also know that in some countries people don't take note of the actual day of birth, so it would be difficult to apply the USMS age-up rule internationally.
We are actually fortunate here is the US. If you have an early birthday, the SCY season favors you, and if you have a late birthday, the LCM & SCM seasons favor you. For this reason, it's probably best not to mess with the rules.
There are going to be bad birthdays either way, I don't think one rule is better than the other for this. For example, my son has a Feb birthday, before championship season, meaning he is always competing with kids mostly older than him in those meets.
I feel his pain. When I was an age group swimmer, my birthday was always the week before our championships. I was never at the "top" of an age group for the championship. Tell your son that he will finally get revenge when he is a USMS swimmer when he will age up just before spring nationals.
Internationally this rule has been the case a long time, I think. When I was 12 and we moved abroad in the late 70s, it was the rule used. I don't see it changing anytime soon.
Of course, maybe your son will be incredibly unlucky and USMS will switch to the FINA rules just when he is about to start masters swimming, so he can again get sc#$%*d by his birthday.
In principle, I agree with the sentiment that the FINA rule is fundamentally wrong because some people get to age-up almost a year before they really age-up biologically. On the other hand, I also know that in some countries people don't take note of the actual day of birth, so it would be difficult to apply the USMS age-up rule internationally.
We are actually fortunate here is the US. If you have an early birthday, the SCY season favors you, and if you have a late birthday, the LCM & SCM seasons favor you. For this reason, it's probably best not to mess with the rules.
