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"
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That's not true that we don't loose speed. The average master swimmer who took over a 20 year period off does. I swim the 100 meter breastroke about 23 seconds slower tha I did at age 18. The example that was use was Jeff F in the 50 yard free. Who was an ex-elite swimmer and who has been at masters for over 20 years in competition. If anyone notice, their is a gap when masters swimmers swim 200 swims outside of freestyle. Melinda Mann swam a 100 meter breastroke at 1:21 but a 200 meter breastroke in 3:02. Many age groupers that swim a 1:21 100 meter breastroke can swim a 200 meter breastroke around 2:52 or something like that. Lynn Bell who was an ex-elite swimmer and it was several years since she compete in masters swam last year ,swam the 200 meter butterfly about almost a mintue slower than she did at the olympics at 1972. Also, the 45 to 49 year old male qualifying for masters nationals is similar to A times for 13 to 14 year old boys and the women 45 to 49 is similar to 11 to 12 year old girls which means there is a decrease in speed and endurance taking place.
That's not true that we don't loose speed. The average master swimmer who took over a 20 year period off does. I swim the 100 meter breastroke about 23 seconds slower tha I did at age 18. The example that was use was Jeff F in the 50 yard free. Who was an ex-elite swimmer and who has been at masters for over 20 years in competition. If anyone notice, their is a gap when masters swimmers swim 200 swims outside of freestyle. Melinda Mann swam a 100 meter breastroke at 1:21 but a 200 meter breastroke in 3:02. Many age groupers that swim a 1:21 100 meter breastroke can swim a 200 meter breastroke around 2:52 or something like that. Lynn Bell who was an ex-elite swimmer and it was several years since she compete in masters swam last year ,swam the 200 meter butterfly about almost a mintue slower than she did at the olympics at 1972. Also, the 45 to 49 year old male qualifying for masters nationals is similar to A times for 13 to 14 year old boys and the women 45 to 49 is similar to 11 to 12 year old girls which means there is a decrease in speed and endurance taking place.
