Question to throw to the group out of curiosity -- What do people think about reasonable seed times for swim meets? Now, I know that people almost always enter masters meets with times that are best guesses, but what about entry times that are definitely not best guesses?
Hypothetical scenario: 400 IM and 50 free are back-to-back events at an end-of-season championship meet. Swimmer enters both events, with a time of 15:00.00 for the 400 IM, and 23.50 for the 50 free. For other events in the meet, the same swimmer is entered at 2:06 for the 200 IM, 2:10 for the 200 fly, etc. So _clearly_ this person is faster than 15:00 in the 400 IM. When asked, the swimmer says, honestly, that the seed time is bogus so that he has a longer rest before swimming the 50 free right afterwards. (The meet info for this hypothetical situation does _not_ allow for 'NT' entries.)
What do people think about this? I can't find any USMS rule that prohibits this, but it feels rather unfair to the other people in Heat 1 who actually do belong in Heat 1, and will have some fast person in an outside lane lap them a couple times. My personal feeling is that if the order of events doesn't work for you, then don't swim one of the events.
Thoughts?
-Rick
Parents
Former Member
No, Tom. In a freestyle event, you may swim any or all strokes, one stroke or mix them up if you prefer. And I agree that there should be no rule forbidding this.
I'm going to my first meet in five years this weekend and can only go on Sunday, however I would have liked to try the 200 fly which is on Saturday. The 200 free is on Sunday and I thought about entering the 200 free with a seed time for a 200 fly. I've reconsidered though and decided that I'm just not ready for a 200 fly, but there is no legal reason for me to not have done so.
As for sandbagging, I have entered times that are slower than I think I can go, just for the reason mentioned above, that I'm really not confident, having not been a meet in over five years. I really don't know what to expect.
Sandbagging is done at all levels of swimming as well, especially in the distance events where all but the fastest heat is swum in the preliminary session, and the fastest heat is swum in the evening with finals. A kid who is likely to be in finals in other events may get entered in a 1650 with a slower time to ensure swimming in the morning heats. I've seen this done before and whether it's ethical or not, there's nothing illegal about it.
Regarding the bruised psyche of the slower swimmer, I would say that the faster swimmer who sandbags is not doing it to feel good about lapping other swimmers, so the slower ones should not feel bad. They are in Masters swimming for fitness and competition, but one person who may skew the competition a little every once in a while isn't that big a deal.
No, Tom. In a freestyle event, you may swim any or all strokes, one stroke or mix them up if you prefer. And I agree that there should be no rule forbidding this.
I'm going to my first meet in five years this weekend and can only go on Sunday, however I would have liked to try the 200 fly which is on Saturday. The 200 free is on Sunday and I thought about entering the 200 free with a seed time for a 200 fly. I've reconsidered though and decided that I'm just not ready for a 200 fly, but there is no legal reason for me to not have done so.
As for sandbagging, I have entered times that are slower than I think I can go, just for the reason mentioned above, that I'm really not confident, having not been a meet in over five years. I really don't know what to expect.
Sandbagging is done at all levels of swimming as well, especially in the distance events where all but the fastest heat is swum in the preliminary session, and the fastest heat is swum in the evening with finals. A kid who is likely to be in finals in other events may get entered in a 1650 with a slower time to ensure swimming in the morning heats. I've seen this done before and whether it's ethical or not, there's nothing illegal about it.
Regarding the bruised psyche of the slower swimmer, I would say that the faster swimmer who sandbags is not doing it to feel good about lapping other swimmers, so the slower ones should not feel bad. They are in Masters swimming for fitness and competition, but one person who may skew the competition a little every once in a while isn't that big a deal.
