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?
Why is there such opposition to mixed relays? Some of my best experiences in Masters have been mixed relays. As someone has already mentioned, the placing of the swimmers would provide some interesting ebb and flow.I am with you. Plus, when they have done mixed relays (e.g., Duel in the Pool) at the elite level, they have been a spectator blast to watch.
I suspect the mixed relays will not make it as too many voters will not want to add events the US is almost certain to medal in, and possibly dominate.
its merely taking the best times of 4 and making the fastest relay regardless of stroke.
where is the best give/gain on each spot?
Correct that the best cumulative time is obviously the fastest. But more often than not you'll find a male in the breaststroke leg and a female in the freestyle leg. Back and fly are more interchangeable between the genders.
Each leg is 25% of the distance of the relay (i.e. each leg is 50m). But the *** leg is typically more than 25% of the total time of the relay and the free leg is less than 25% of the total time of the relay. If the men are 10% faster than the women on any given relay across the board on all four strokes, the one with the male breaststroker is going to win if the other relay has a female breastroker. Does that make sense?
it most certainly does
especially if you are that wicked fast dude from the UK - Adam Peaty
however, 1 person doesnt win the medal for a 4 person relay.
men will be in the 2 slowest legs because they are >% faster than the women.
it is simple time math
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'll put it like this:
swimming (as a world wide sport) has been *last* to adopt "new" ideas/technologies. heck they couldnt even follow their own rules!
if track isn't doing it...and it's not.
swimming wont at the olympics either.
its merely taking the best times of 4 and making the fastest relay regardless of stroke.
where is the best give/gain on each spot?
I think the IOC is still primarily an "old boys' club" and can't fathom having men and women competing together. That's why mixed relays at the Olympics won't make it for 2020.
I like 'em all!!
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?
