Counting Distance Events

Whenever I've swum events that had a timer and a bell ringer they were different people. The timer was someone I selected (or who volunteered to help me), while the bell ringer was an official of some sort. They were also at different ends of the pool. Have they now combined the roles? Not at the masters meets I've attended. Timers are usually volunteer AGers from the sponsoring pool and the bell ringer is usually the starter, I think. A couple of years back at the Garden State Senior Olympics meet I finished the 200 fr and my timers told me I still had 50 to go. After arguing politely for about 10 sec. (me: "I swam this race about 1,000 times and know when 200 is over!), I swam the extra 50 just to be sure I got a place and wasn't DQd. I thought I might go to the senior's national meet that year. After swimming 250 I climbed out and requested that starter and officials check the Colorado timing system. They figured it out and assigned a time that I think made some sense.

Whenever I've swum events that had a timer and a bell ringer they were different people. The timer was someone I selected (or who volunteered to help me), while the bell ringer was an official of some sort. They were also at different ends of the pool. Have they now combined the roles? Not at the masters meets I've attended. Timers are usually volunteer AGers from the sponsoring pool and the bell ringer is usually the starter, I think. A couple of years back at the Garden State Senior Olympics meet I finished the 200 fr and my timers told me I still had 50 to go. After arguing politely for about 10 sec. (me: "I swam this race about 1,000 times and know when 200 is over!), I swam the extra 50 just to be sure I got a place and wasn't DQd. I thought I might go to the senior's national meet that year. After swimming 250 I climbed out and requested that starter and officials check the Colorado timing system. They figured it out and assigned a time that I think made some sense.