Today I heard that a swimming pool "back east" had been recently measured and found to be too short. Further, the rumor continues, any records set in that facility are alleged to be dis-allowed. True? False? Who knows the real skinny on this ?
Bert
The rumor is not a rumor. The Virginia Beach, Virginia Princes Ann Recreation Center was deemed short and therefore all times from a recent High School season were disallowed. I am not sure if there have been Masters meets held in this facility, but the Indianapolis Star reported that all times from this past high school season would not count and that swimmers achieving All American status would be recinded.
Mel:(
What Skip says is true. It is the pool where we had a Masters meet in 2001 and 2002. In 2002, we had several world records. The pool management had a certificate of length and all lanes were approximately 24.99. This was one of the pools/incidents that prompted the Rules change to require measurement of pools for Masters meets.
Obviously, the aquatic director knew. Several Masters swimmers officiate the high school meets. Everyone involvled knew the pool was not 25m. However, since the previous records were allowed, no one seemed concerned. The USA-Swimming certifying official asked me if I had a copy of the measurement. I did and sent a copy. No times were certified.
The local newspaper (Virginian Pilot) has had some interesting news. There are two other pools like this one in question. The measurements on the other two are too long. I am curious how it would work out with touch pads. But today's paper said the school system and the city were considering fixing the pool in question. They are investigating replacing tile or installing a moveable bulkhead to make the pool 25 yards. I am really interested in this and hopeful because the city engineer quoted was a USS referee when his son swam age group and college. At least he knows about competition.
When the pools were built, the swimming community begged the city to make one yards instead of meters. The attitude at that time was that these pools would not be used for competition. How things change. We now have high school swimming and an active winter league. Plus, we were able to use the pool for the 2 Masters meets.
It is unfortunate that Va Beach has gotten such publicity, and it it is terrible for swimmers to miss out on records and All American honors, but it is good to make everyone aware of the measurement requirements. If the pool here is altered to make it official, some good will come of it.
Betsy Durrant
This is true. There was a high school state meet held in Virginia in a short course meters facility. Many national high school records were set (There are not many high school meets in short course meters so many records were set at a single meet). After the meet, the pool was measured and found to be a 0.5 inch short. The records were thrown out. There is an item on www.swiminfo.com from July 6th with the particulars.
Mary
I read this the other day and it sounded a lot like the pool that was used in the fall of 2001 for the Masters Meet that was short and was the second reporting of a pool being measured short, the other being in Oregon. I e-mailed Betsy Durrant and she said it was the SAME POOL and they did not learn from the USMS experience. The Aquatic Director and the School System Meet Director knew the measurement was short (24.99). an they thought they were ok because previous National Records in that pool had been approved. USA-Swimming would not certify the times because they knew of the problem.
I can understand that the record can not stand .as a half inch could make a difference in split second times .too bad as the swimmers times would have made up for the distance for sure.. I wonder what kind of tolerence is given in these measurements.. A eight of a inch? I think it would be impossible to build a pool to a exact number.of inches.
That can happen many places since short course meters is held in pools that usually use bulkheads. Anyway, I found out that a very old pool I swam in 1969 in California which measured 33 1/3 is still use for competition in the winter time today. It has a bulkhead to cut it down to 25 yards but a pool like that can also have trouble if the bulkhead is wrong. It could be either to short or too long since many pools today rarely are at the 33 1/3 length. And someone could make a mistake when measuring 25 yard length.
Its a shame. I know Pacific is/has made a concerted effort to get all of its pools measured.
A pool near me, which has hosted a masters meet for the last 20 some or thirty years, has been measured short in a few lanes, or so I understand. So, no more meets in that pool, and a tradition lost.
I have a question and I feel sure that someone has done or will do the calculations to answer it.
The whole controvery about pool length, of course, centers around fairness. BUT, which situation below gives the swimmer the larger advantage?
(1) Swimming 100 meters in a pool that measures 24.99 meters, timed electronically.
(2) Swimming 100 meters in a pool that measures 25.00 meters, timed by hand held watches.
Betsy
I'm wondering if just replacing the gutter tile would be enough. Wouldn't you have to measure the wall where the feet touch too? It could be possible for the walls to slant either in or out, like some hotel pools........just a thought....
