Swimmers,
Use this thread to share information, blogs, personal results and stories from the 2014 World Championships in Montreal.
Those posting blogs specifically should make sure the are posted to the following link:
forums.usms.org/blog.php
Below and attached you will find the first email letter from Tim Waud regarding the World Championships in Montreal, Canada.
Dear Worlds Swimmers,
The World Team coaches are excited to represent United States Masters Swimming at the 2014 FINA World Championship. Coaches are Tim Waud (Oregon), Dean Hawks (Indiana), Andrew LeVasseur (Colorado) and Jennifer Catucci-Crowther (Virginia). Head Coach Tim Waud can be reached by email: Twaud@aol.com
COMMUNICATION:
Social Media:
Join our Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/.../
This page will continue to be updated preceding and throughout the event.
Venue:
The World Team coaches intend on identifying two locations, one just outside of each competition pool in Montreal, where we can post daily messages for all the USA swimmers. Please be on the lookout for “TEAM MESSAGES” at the meet.
Look for the USMS logo on the message board.
Coaches:
The World Team coaches will be highly visible on the pool deck(s). Coaches will be wearing USMS Polo Shirts and be in area represented by a United States Masters Swimming banner.
RELAYS:
Relay Cards: Relay sheets or cards indicating the names of the pre-registered swimmers will be given to the team representative on arrival at registration. These competitors must be verified or amended and the relay sheets or cards returned to the designated point by Wednesday, August 6, 2014 at 1:00 PM. Changes to team age groups, swimmers or times will be accepted until Tuesday, 15th July 2014 by the coach or a team representative. All relay team members must be affiliated with the same swimming club. A swimmer may not swim for more than one team per relay event.
TEAM DINNER:
Check the team message board and Facebook daily for information regarding team dinners and social events.
Places to swim in Montreal:
These are links to swimming pools in Montreal; some of these facilities do not open until this summer.
www.montrealgazette.com/.../pools.htmlville.montreal.qc.ca/.../pagewww.yelp.com/searchwww.google.com/.../data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!2m4!3m3!1spublic swimming pools!2sMontreal, QC, Canada!3s0x4cc91a541c64b70d:0x654e3138211fefefswim.isport.com/.../
Here are some thoughts I had on the meet. USMS puts on a Nationals twice a year.It is a very serious undertaking for all involved and I don't want to make light of that nor minimize the effort involved. USMS however has practice and a structure for this and almost always these meets are incredibly well run.Even at that there is always room for improvement( and complaint such as about the warm up area at the Atlanta meet.) Comparing Worlds to a USMS Nationals gives many opportunity for complaints and "if only they'd done X" thinking.Certainly there were times at the meet where I did just that.
If you let it be what it was,6000 swimmers,from everywhere,being interested in the same sorts of things;a celebration of life, longevity and fitness. A 90 year old woman became the first her age to legally finish a 200 fly,how cool is that.
Yes the warm up pool was a zoo,but it was a zoo where the animals were mostly nice to each other.Almost all the problems there were the result of ignorance or obliviousness and not of deliberate rudeness.
Most of the swimmers were packed together like sardines under the one big tent for shade.The first impression of it was noise and chaos,but everyone was nice.I had a great talk about training technique with a swimmer from Hong Kong. I spent some wonderful time with a competitor in breaststroke in my age group from Argentina. I had several fun conversations with a breaststroker from Germany.
The locals were nearly universally friendly and helpful everywhere I went and Montreal is an amazing city.
To the people responsible for putting on this meet,I say Thank You
Here are some thoughts I had on the meet. USMS puts on a Nationals twice a year.It is a very serious undertaking for all involved and I don't want to make light of that nor minimize the effort involved. USMS however has practice and a structure for this and almost always these meets are incredibly well run.Even at that there is always room for improvement( and complaint such as about the warm up area at the Atlanta meet.) Comparing Worlds to a USMS Nationals gives many opportunity for complaints and "if only they'd done X" thinking.Certainly there were times at the meet where I did just that.
If you let it be what it was,6000 swimmers,from everywhere,being interested in the same sorts of things;a celebration of life, longevity and fitness. A 90 year old woman became the first her age to legally finish a 200 fly,how cool is that.
Yes the warm up pool was a zoo,but it was a zoo where the animals were mostly nice to each other.Almost all the problems there were the result of ignorance or obliviousness and not of deliberate rudeness.
Most of the swimmers were packed together like sardines under the one big tent for shade.The first impression of it was noise and chaos,but everyone was nice.I had a great talk about training technique with a swimmer from Hong Kong. I spent some wonderful time with a competitor in breaststroke in my age group from Argentina. I had several fun conversations with a breaststroker from Germany.
The locals were nearly universally friendly and helpful everywhere I went and Montreal is an amazing city.
To the people responsible for putting on this meet,I say Thank You
