Hi all,
We're looking to get some input from Masters swimmers and coaches on the age old question whether someone who is a professional or post-grad swimmer belongs in U.S. Masters Swimming events going after Masters records.
Curious to get your thoughts!
We may ask you to be in a future issue of Swimming World.
Jason Marsteller
Swimming World
As a moderately fast Masters swimmer, I love it when big name swimmers show up at meets. I had a chance to chat with Cullen Jones in 2012 and Jason Lezak in 2013, and they are great. The energy they bring to the pool deck is quite tangible, and how many people get a chance to say they swam at a meet with an active Olympian?
...On the other hand, being in the 25-29 age group, it is kind of frustrating knowing that I'd more or less have to be a pro swimmer, and a darn good one at that, to have a chance at taking down a USMS record (not that I'm even remotely close, or even in the same zip code, just talking hypothetically).
If it were up to me, I would continue to encourage ALL USMS members to swim in our meets. However, the caveat would be that if you are an active pro swimmer, or are on any sort of US national team, you cannot set a USMS record. American/Open/World records are fair game (provided the competition meets the sanctioning requirements), but USMS records are not. If Michael Phelps were to re-retire tomorrow, he would be eligible to set any and all USMS records he wants, but not while he is still a pro/US National team member. I guess my personal case in point was Adrian's 100 free at Santa Clara last year. How on earth is anyone who is not a pro swimmer/Nat team member going to come close to that USMS record?
As a moderately fast Masters swimmer, I love it when big name swimmers show up at meets. I had a chance to chat with Cullen Jones in 2012 and Jason Lezak in 2013, and they are great. The energy they bring to the pool deck is quite tangible, and how many people get a chance to say they swam at a meet with an active Olympian?
...On the other hand, being in the 25-29 age group, it is kind of frustrating knowing that I'd more or less have to be a pro swimmer, and a darn good one at that, to have a chance at taking down a USMS record (not that I'm even remotely close, or even in the same zip code, just talking hypothetically).
If it were up to me, I would continue to encourage ALL USMS members to swim in our meets. However, the caveat would be that if you are an active pro swimmer, or are on any sort of US national team, you cannot set a USMS record. American/Open/World records are fair game (provided the competition meets the sanctioning requirements), but USMS records are not. If Michael Phelps were to re-retire tomorrow, he would be eligible to set any and all USMS records he wants, but not while he is still a pro/US National team member. I guess my personal case in point was Adrian's 100 free at Santa Clara last year. How on earth is anyone who is not a pro swimmer/Nat team member going to come close to that USMS record?
