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?
My reasons are irrelevant and unimportant. I coach a huge Masters team and have about a dozen Top Ten swimmers in various age groups and multiple events. None have ever complained about getting smoked by a fast elite swimmer. In fact, all love it when we get the chance to go up against the best. I heard the bell at my 900 on a 1000 once because of a super stud next to me. While my first reaction was despair, I then realized how awesome it was to be beaten by one of the best in the world.
I guess my question to you remains unanswered as well. Why do you find faster people than you to be unworthy of records simply because they are faster?
I never used the word "unworthy". That's how you interpret my post.
All kinds of swimmers should be able to set records and be in TT lists. But if we already have a distinction between USMS and USAS then there should also be a distinction for the records.
Faster people than me are definitely welcome to break records and beat me in the TT, heck I wouldn't even care if I weren't in the TT. But, if I see that 1-3 current National Team Members, who compete for much more than USMS TT and records, are on the list, I don't think they should be there.
That is my personal opinion and has nothing to do with you somehow coming up with me saying that I find it unworthy or don't like faster people than me. Not sure how you came up with these facts. I never said those!
Overall, I swam once next to Maria Moravchova at the World Cup. She set a FINA World Record in the lane right next to me. It was the 100 IM and after the 25 fly I only saw her feet. It was one of the best races I have ever been part of.
I still remember it to the day.
I don't know what your problem is with me stating my opinion. I don't care, but don't make up stuff that I never said!
My reasons are irrelevant and unimportant. I coach a huge Masters team and have about a dozen Top Ten swimmers in various age groups and multiple events. None have ever complained about getting smoked by a fast elite swimmer. In fact, all love it when we get the chance to go up against the best. I heard the bell at my 900 on a 1000 once because of a super stud next to me. While my first reaction was despair, I then realized how awesome it was to be beaten by one of the best in the world.
I guess my question to you remains unanswered as well. Why do you find faster people than you to be unworthy of records simply because they are faster?
I never used the word "unworthy". That's how you interpret my post.
All kinds of swimmers should be able to set records and be in TT lists. But if we already have a distinction between USMS and USAS then there should also be a distinction for the records.
Faster people than me are definitely welcome to break records and beat me in the TT, heck I wouldn't even care if I weren't in the TT. But, if I see that 1-3 current National Team Members, who compete for much more than USMS TT and records, are on the list, I don't think they should be there.
That is my personal opinion and has nothing to do with you somehow coming up with me saying that I find it unworthy or don't like faster people than me. Not sure how you came up with these facts. I never said those!
Overall, I swam once next to Maria Moravchova at the World Cup. She set a FINA World Record in the lane right next to me. It was the 100 IM and after the 25 fly I only saw her feet. It was one of the best races I have ever been part of.
I still remember it to the day.
I don't know what your problem is with me stating my opinion. I don't care, but don't make up stuff that I never said!
