Darian Townsend entered a masters meet in Mesa over the weekend and broke five world records in the 25-29 age group. This was Townsend's first masters meet. For those of you who are not familiar with him, Townend is a three-time Olympian and gold medalist from South Africa.
Swimswam.com posted a story about Townend's incredible meet. Here's the link: swimswam.com/.../
I found the comments quite interesting especially this one by "HMMM":
I have no problem with athletes making money off of Masters but why have a separate division called Masters if there are no rules or restrictions? None of the sponsored people you mention in their 50′s are training for Rio are they?. Most people in Masters believe they are swimming against recreational swimmers which is why there is a separate Masters division and those records are set by recreational/retired swimmers. If Phelps remains retired and wants to swim Masters, well there goes a few records in his age group but none of us in our club would have a problem with it. We discussed that very subject this morning after practice and Phelps, like Rowdy Gaines is retired and would welcome him. Many of us have swam against and met Rowdy and it is a true honor to share the pool with him in a Masters meet. But our entire team would have a huge problem if Lochte decides to swim a Masters meet while he is still fully training for the Olympics and blows all the records out of the water. If Lochte swims 12 events, he is going to walk away with 12 records. Why have a separate record book? If he can do that, you might as well just call us all USA swimmers and do away with the Masters division. There are meets where fully training pros swim and they are called Grand Prix’s, Nationals, and Worlds. Call us old fashioned, call us Masters swimmers, but we all think Masters should be separate from the training pros..
So I'm curious what the rest of you think. Should someone like Darian Townend or Ryan Lochte be allowed to swim in masters meets when they are professional swimmers who are training full-time? And maybe "allowed" is a poor choice or word. The bottom line is do you think they have any business swimming masters meets?
Even if I don't agree with your opinion at least you came up with a clear cut definition of who should be excluded from setting masters records. If there was a rule stating current National team members were not eligible for records I don't think I'd have a huge problem with it.
I think we have a compromise that works so I would be in disagreement with not letting National Team members establish USMS National Records. First, a swimmer must be a registered member of the USMS. Second. they have to follow all of our USMS rules for the record to be established namely record applications, pool measurements, and copies of either birth certificate/passport. This is the step where most of these swimmers don't have the time to do it, plus you have probably most of the swimmers not even thinking about this because they are trying to make one of the teams that travels to World University Games, Pan American Games, Pan Pacs, World Championships, and the Olympic Games. If for some reason, a swimmer breaks a USMS National Record and completes the USMS process, then they should be awarded the USMS National Record. The compromise is, they can't get a FINA World Record unless they swim in a USMS sanctioned event.
If we did what Britta wanted to do, I could see all problems with this. For instance Eugene Godsoe was not a National Team member until this past summer so in his case he would have USMS Records and then they would stop once he was a National Team member. Same with BJ Johnson, Dara Torres, and others. Top Ten recorders have enough to do then adjusting meet results for these swimmers and keeping track of who is on the USA National team at the time of there swims.
Clark Burckle attended the 2013 Nationals this past summer. He was an 2012 Olympian and finalist in the breaststroke events at the 2013 National and World Trials meet and because he did not make the team, should he get the USMS Record and not BJ Johnson who was a finalist and did make the team. This is just nuts. Both are members of USMS. Clark actually got a World Record because he swam in a USMS sanctioned meet and BJ did not because FINA won't allow WR's in non sanctioned meets. So it worked out for both swimmers. Clark will not be able to claim All American in the 100 and 200 *** but like Britta he was first in the 50 *** and will be All American for his efforts.
Even if I don't agree with your opinion at least you came up with a clear cut definition of who should be excluded from setting masters records. If there was a rule stating current National team members were not eligible for records I don't think I'd have a huge problem with it.
I think we have a compromise that works so I would be in disagreement with not letting National Team members establish USMS National Records. First, a swimmer must be a registered member of the USMS. Second. they have to follow all of our USMS rules for the record to be established namely record applications, pool measurements, and copies of either birth certificate/passport. This is the step where most of these swimmers don't have the time to do it, plus you have probably most of the swimmers not even thinking about this because they are trying to make one of the teams that travels to World University Games, Pan American Games, Pan Pacs, World Championships, and the Olympic Games. If for some reason, a swimmer breaks a USMS National Record and completes the USMS process, then they should be awarded the USMS National Record. The compromise is, they can't get a FINA World Record unless they swim in a USMS sanctioned event.
If we did what Britta wanted to do, I could see all problems with this. For instance Eugene Godsoe was not a National Team member until this past summer so in his case he would have USMS Records and then they would stop once he was a National Team member. Same with BJ Johnson, Dara Torres, and others. Top Ten recorders have enough to do then adjusting meet results for these swimmers and keeping track of who is on the USA National team at the time of there swims.
Clark Burckle attended the 2013 Nationals this past summer. He was an 2012 Olympian and finalist in the breaststroke events at the 2013 National and World Trials meet and because he did not make the team, should he get the USMS Record and not BJ Johnson who was a finalist and did make the team. This is just nuts. Both are members of USMS. Clark actually got a World Record because he swam in a USMS sanctioned meet and BJ did not because FINA won't allow WR's in non sanctioned meets. So it worked out for both swimmers. Clark will not be able to claim All American in the 100 and 200 *** but like Britta he was first in the 50 *** and will be All American for his efforts.
