Swimswam had an interesting article about new events FINA has requested be added to the schedule for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The additions would be as follows:
Men’s 800m Freestyle
Women’s 1500m Freestyle
Mixed 400 Medley Relay
Mixed 400 Freestyle Relay
50s in each stroke for both men and women
Admittedly it seems very ambitious and it's highly unlikely FINA will get everything it wants, but it's still worthy of discussion. What are everone's thoughts on this proposed schedule?
I don't quite see the reason for the lack of enthusiasm for mixed relays that I see in the SwimSwam comments. Perhaps people think the strategy is too obvious (See sunruh's comment). I wonder though, if in a race that figures to be very close, there is an advantage to using the guys to give the gals clean water. This would seem to be especially relevant if a gal is swimming butterfly because women are typically smaller/lighter and would get washed around. I recall Fort mentioning that she doesn't like racing fly with men in the adjacent lanes for this reason. I weigh in at ~125# soaking wet and know that it is a big issue for me. Not so much in the other strokes, but for fly I get tossed around like a cork in a gale.
I can't see the IOC adding new swimming events though. There is already the perception that there are too many swimming events and it is too ez for swimmers to rack up the medal count. Add to that the fact that the politically unpopular US is likely to dominate those events and you have a losing proposition. Personally, I don't have much use for stroke 50s, but think the mixed relays would be fun to watch, and might provide opportunity for lesser swimming powers to be competitive. (I figure it is easier to find 4 fast swimmers if you have M & F to pick from.) The 800/1500 thing should have been changed a long time ago. I should think that might be looked upon favorably - more time to cut away to more advertising...
I don't quite see the reason for the lack of enthusiasm for mixed relays that I see in the SwimSwam comments. Perhaps people think the strategy is too obvious (See sunruh's comment). I wonder though, if in a race that figures to be very close, there is an advantage to using the guys to give the gals clean water. This would seem to be especially relevant if a gal is swimming butterfly because women are typically smaller/lighter and would get washed around. I recall Fort mentioning that she doesn't like racing fly with men in the adjacent lanes for this reason. I weigh in at ~125# soaking wet and know that it is a big issue for me. Not so much in the other strokes, but for fly I get tossed around like a cork in a gale.
I can't see the IOC adding new swimming events though. There is already the perception that there are too many swimming events and it is too ez for swimmers to rack up the medal count. Add to that the fact that the politically unpopular US is likely to dominate those events and you have a losing proposition. Personally, I don't have much use for stroke 50s, but think the mixed relays would be fun to watch, and might provide opportunity for lesser swimming powers to be competitive. (I figure it is easier to find 4 fast swimmers if you have M & F to pick from.) The 800/1500 thing should have been changed a long time ago. I should think that might be looked upon favorably - more time to cut away to more advertising...
