This is somewhat related to another post I just started (Top Ten conerns). I noticed in the top ten list a number of swimmers (generally very fast swimmers) who swam their first nationals (or any other masters meet) in 5 years due to being in a new age group. I state this by looking at the past few years top ten lists and not seeing their names. Is this a good thing for masters swimming? Swimmers whose only affiliation with masters swimming is showing up to one meet every 5 years to break a record. These records should be owned by people that are true masters swimmers.
What is a true masters swimmers?- Perhaps doing a few meets a year might work. When I swam on an age group team as a child, I know in order to qualify for our championship meet, we had to swim at least 3 regular meets. Perhaps a rule like that for Nationals could begin to fix this problem-
If not, many of our national records will be held by "ringers"
Parents
Former Member
Question about:
1. a year ago, www.swiminfo.com, reported that an English company wanted to consider all swimming organizations when establishing age group records for adults; by this token, for example, Olympian Alex Popov (Rus) would hold 50 meter free Long Course record for men ages 25 to 29 at 21.6x, and also for men ages 30 to 34 at 21.9x, with Mark Foster (GBR) second at 22.13;
their times aren't done in a Masters competition, but so is 100 meter fly by Masters Swimmer Paul Carter (US) who swam at age 45, 56.42 in a US Swimming meet, which the US Masters records accepts;
2. in 1999, at the Short Course Nationals in Santa Clara, 1996 Olympian Jon Olsen (US) swam records of 44.xx in 100 yards free, 1:38.0x in 200 yards free, and no other Masters meet.
Would anyone accept these as Masters records, when these participants barely compete in Masters meets -like in 2.-, or don't do their records in Masters meets -like in 1.-?
I do, because:
a) it gives people like me exposure about the world's best who can watch -like I did- Jon Olsen caliber when he considers Masters worthy for him to show up to;
b) creates a flow of co-operative participation when US Swimmers intermingle with Masters Swimmers.
Question about:
1. a year ago, www.swiminfo.com, reported that an English company wanted to consider all swimming organizations when establishing age group records for adults; by this token, for example, Olympian Alex Popov (Rus) would hold 50 meter free Long Course record for men ages 25 to 29 at 21.6x, and also for men ages 30 to 34 at 21.9x, with Mark Foster (GBR) second at 22.13;
their times aren't done in a Masters competition, but so is 100 meter fly by Masters Swimmer Paul Carter (US) who swam at age 45, 56.42 in a US Swimming meet, which the US Masters records accepts;
2. in 1999, at the Short Course Nationals in Santa Clara, 1996 Olympian Jon Olsen (US) swam records of 44.xx in 100 yards free, 1:38.0x in 200 yards free, and no other Masters meet.
Would anyone accept these as Masters records, when these participants barely compete in Masters meets -like in 2.-, or don't do their records in Masters meets -like in 1.-?
I do, because:
a) it gives people like me exposure about the world's best who can watch -like I did- Jon Olsen caliber when he considers Masters worthy for him to show up to;
b) creates a flow of co-operative participation when US Swimmers intermingle with Masters Swimmers.
