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?
I think it would be interesting to see what slower swimmers think about this. I wonder if they would object to elites coming in first and setting records...I’m twice as old and 25% slower than Darian Townsend, so maybe I’d qualify.
Personally, I’d be thrilled to swim in a meet with Townsend, even better to swim next to him. And ecstatic if I didn’t get lapped in the 200 Free SCM.
tWhat bothers me in this entire Forum though is that if one person has a different opinion than the majority, that person is automatically thrown under the bus rather than take different opinions as an invitation to discuss on a level that I would expect from mature people.
This is nothing compared to some other threads. No one has even been banned yet! And don't feel alone. I've been thrown under the bus much worse than this. One of the last times was when I had the audacity to use a split request to set a record. Cue Geek attack.
On a personal note, I'd avoid any meet where I knew someone of Olympic caliber was present, especially a very small meet with few heats of events.I'm kind of the other way on this. I won't go looking for events with elite swimmers but every year, I swim a meet (typically 150-200 swimmers) where there is the potential for elite swimmers to show up. I'm fast enough to end up in the "fast" heat for most of my swims but I'm certainly no TT threat (yet). I've been lapped multiple times in a 1650. I've been lapped in a 200 fly. I've been humbled by a certain forumite in the 200 br. And those aren't even by "elite" swimmers... at least by various current working definitions. I'll admit there's a certain enjoyment with winning the "not quite so fast" heat. But I also tend to put forth a little more effort in the "fast" heat in a vain attempt to prove I belong there. When it is all done, I'm looking at the clock because I figure that if I can keep beating myself, the TTs and records will work themselves out.
This is nothing compared to some other threads. No one has even been banned yet! And don't feel alone. I've been thrown under the bus much worse than this. One of the last times was when I had the audacity to use a split request to set a record. Cue Geek attack.
Thank you. That's good to hear. I still think that differing opinions should be used more for discussion rather than what happens in this forum. But that's again, my personal opinion and might be different from others.
That was totally OT now. Sorry about that.
We will never have an equal playing field in USMS and no matter what rules are done I respectfully disagree. I believe swimming has the most level playing field of all sports. Everyone steps up together in the heat, has the same starting horn, swims the same stroke and distance and hits a touchpad that is identical to the one hit by everyone else in the race. Where any inequities come into play is in the genetics and training that brought each swimmer to the blocks.
What bothers me in this entire Forum though is that if one person has a different opinion than the majority, that person is automatically thrown under the bus rather than take different opinions as an invitation to discuss on a level that I would expect from mature people.It bothers me too. At times we forget that opinions expressed here are not statements of fact or solutions to the problems, they are personal views.
And if it makes you feel better, if it wasn’t for you this thread would have died out about 100 posts ago, instead of being … the best forum debate we've had since the sandbaggers and split-requesters…
I merely was asking what the opinions of swimmers might be.
I am interesting in hearing from them to see what their opinion is.
Yeah, sorry. We shouldn't have inferred your position just by asking. However, didn't you post very early (looks like you subsequently deleted it) saying you agreed with the sentiment of the person who posted on swimswam that prompted this discussion in the first place? If so then let's hear why you feel that way.
Well when your opinion is wrong.. yes. What good is membership if you're going to exclude certain members from participating?
According to whom? Is this a scientific fact? While I personally agree that all times/swimmers who are registered should count, I get Britt's frustration and can disagree without making grandiose statements as though my opinion is fact.
Britt - you are fast enough that your time will come. You won't always have what you currently consider "elite" swimmers in your age group. You will likely always have someone who has been an "elite" swimmer, though…
You will likely always have someone who has been an "elite" swimmer, though…
And likely experience the same frustration ...
Good to see feisty girls posting -- a relative rarity on this forum.
I merely was asking what the opinions of swimmers might be.
I am interesting in hearing from them to see what their opinion is.
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