Swimming Finals at the World Championships in Barcelona, Spain

Originally posted by Bert Bergen WHAT?!?!? Matt Biondi was NEVER KNOWN AS MATTHEW "BOND!" That is inaccurate, inconsequential, and totally within character for you, Ion. Stick to the numbers and stay on focus. Good lord... I read the Guiness Book of Olympic Records, in page 140: "1984 USA 3:19.03 Chris Cavanaugh Michael Heath Matthew Bond Ambrose Gaines" I don't think this is a typo, because the name is well recognized on many pages in the book. I think however that you lose the focus: whatever the name, googa for example, my point is that an individual Olympic medal is stronger than a relay medal. 1.) Biondi went to three Olympics, the first time on a relay and no individual events. Biondi's opportunity to go to more Olympics came in 1992 when Popov defeated him. Biondi blew this opportunity when he retired in the spring of 1994. 2.) Popov went to three Olympics and won individual medals in three Olympics. Popov's opportunity to go to more Olympics came in 2000 when van den Hoogenband (Ned.) defeated him in the 100 free; Popov takes this opportunity, and him competing in these 2003 World Championships is not a 'flash in the pan', it is aging and winning at the same time. Just like Dawn Fraser was doing it.

I saw Phelps swim the 100m Fly and the 200 IM last night. What can I say, he was amazing. I have noticed that the fastest Flyers have a "Wide Entry", definitely outside the shoulders and wider than what used to be taught. I can see that this allows them to quickly start the Catch, and they seem to be doing the pull timing of "Front end fly". I like the recent rule change on Breaststroke, it has become so much faster now that the head can be underwater on the Glide phase. The televised coverage on " Eurosport" has been excellent. The great underwater shots have really allowed me to see how the best swimmers are swimming. I want to see what Popov is doing underwater on his start. He must be dolphin kicking as he has the best start in his events. I love watching my hero Popov swim. The "Gallop" in his stroke which he and Phelps have in free is great to see. I think that this cames from a 'shoulder shrug' initiated arm recovery, which is fast in the first phase and is allowed to slow down in the 2nd phase to have the benefits of a soft entry. The British swimmers still have a long way to go. I DISMISS 50m events, for these ELITE swimmers it is the same as the 25m events in some master meets. Not for serious swimmers and really for 'newbies' and the really old. I agree with Ion that Mark Foster is a " Poseur". Here in the UK, he bills himself as the "fastest human in the water!" despite never having beaten Popov or Hoogie in any event. He only swims about 6 to 7 hours a week, it is no wonder that he is incapable of swimming the 100m free. Bill Sweetenham, ( UK swim director) has done a lot of good here in the UK, however, he is working against a "Culture of mediocrity" which has been ingrained here for far too long. The inability of the British swimmers to perform in 100m events and longer distance is embarassing. The 4 by 200m freestyle relay is the true test of a swim programme and the British mens team is not competitive. We are quite good at Breaststroke though. The 800m free contrasted the "exquisite technique" of Hackett with the "lousy technique" of Smith (UK). Yes, Smith trains hard, but he has a splashy stroke and "lifts his head up to breath". How has he been allowed to swim that way for so long, he stands no chance of beating the rest of the world with the worst freestyle technique of any in the pool. I find it impossible to say who is the "best swimmer", like comparing apples to oranges. I am amazed by all that they can do. I think that the US are having a great meet, as are Australia. I have been impressed with some of the European and Eastern Europe swimmers. The Japanese must have a great program there. Canada is struggling with practically no funding but is doing OK when you consider that fact. How "clean"(free of drugs) do you think this meet is ? The rest of the meet will be great, the 400 Im and the 1500m are the events i am most looking forward to. Hackett has said that he has improved his turns and can take 6 seconds off his 1500m world record. Can't wait to see him do it.

I would endorse everything that Gareth says about British swimming.For a long time we have just regarded ourselves as breaststrokers,ie, Wilkie, Goodhew, Moorhouse, Gillingham and now James Gibson and Darren Mew.If you go to any Britsh pool you will see 90% of the swimmers doing breaststroke.Foster is history and should really let somebody who is more dedicated take his place in the team.OK he might be the fastest British guy at free but look at the rest of the world,they are miles ahead.As for Graham Smith,words fail me.Gareth is right in saying his technique is flawed.He came third in the 1500m free at the Commonwealth Games a couple of years ago behind Grant Hackett and Craig Stevens from Australia.The media really built him up on the back of that performance.He boasted that he swam 100k metres a week.So why wasn't his technique sorted out then.Maybe I am just griping because swimming is given such a low priority over here.Basically,soccer kills off all other sports here when it comes to funding and the media.I would love it if the "top" British swimmers spent some time training with Hackett and Thorpe.I think that it will very interesting to see if Jensen can get anywhere near Hackett in the 1500m free.

Using Ion's logic wouldn't Tom Dolan be a "flash in the pan". Afterall didn't he splash around last year and swim the 200 Back and watch from the deck of the pool at Ft. Lauderdale as Michael Phelps and Eric Vendt broke his 400 IM World Record. So what did my hero do when challenged at the age of 26? He QUIT instead of RAISING TO THE CHALLENGE brought on by higher competition. He never went head to head against Michael Phelps, Eric Vendt, or Tom Wilkens after the 2000 Olympics. He just QUIT like Matt Biondi did at 26. Oh what a shame because I recall that he wanted to become the first person to win 3 Olympic 400 IM titles and be considered the best in the IM. Unfortunately he will always be in the shadow of Tamas Darnyi because Tamas was a better IM swimmer. You say why? Prove it. Tamas won 2 World Championships in both the 200 IM and 400 IM. Tamas won 2 Olympic Gold Medals in both the 200 IM and 400 IM. Tom Dolan never won at the World Championships or Olympics in the 200 IM and never held the World Record in that event. So he will never be the best and he QUIT at 26 and was just a "flash in the pan" like Matt Biondi.

Guinness IS wrong as Matthew BIONDI graduated from Campolindo High School in Northern California in 1984, qualified for the 400M free relay team and was third on the relay (that is him in Swimming World, Sept., '84, touching head up as Rowdy dusts Mark Stockwell on the anchor) that won the gold. We were in high school and college at the same time and competed against eachother. You really ARE wrong this time. On focus (as you asked), he swam in three Olympics, won multiple gold medals individually and on relays and the gold that Popov earned this week on the relay was his FIRST ever at a Worlds or Olympic meet. Does that mean Biondi was able to elevate a foursome better than Popov? Of course not. This is apples to oranges; you cannot compare and elevate one over another (throwing in Spitz, Salnikov, Perkins, Thorpe, etc) in comparison as a result of outside factors previously cited: prelim/finals vs. prelim/semi/final; elevation; steriods (!?!), technology (taper, suits, pools), competition, financial support, and increased understanding of methods allowing for longevity. Just enjoy what you are seeing and have fun with said comparisons. We are seeing history, just like they did in 1972 and every other year.

Mark, i hear you! Those Breaststrokers are also, in my pool, the 'head-up' swimmers. These are the ones who will swim up and down for 30 mins without once getting their hair wet and they rule our pool. This year my ASA " instructor " told us that: " backstrokers should look towards their feet", "in fly & *** you should raise your head & jut your chin forward to breathe", and that in free " the waterline should be on your Forehead to allow hydroplaning to occur". All of which is total crap and was dismissed over 10 years ago. He had no understanding of the elements of 'Australian crawl' that are being used to great effect in modern freestyle and had never heard of 'front end butterfly' which is now the dominant technique amongst ELITE fly swimmers. If this is the standard prevelant in the UK then it will take a very long time to change it. I am racing to get my Level 4 Coach qualifications as fast as I can and then I will " piss off " a lot of people to try to change things over here. My view in life is that you never stop learning and if you coach or teach others then you have a DUTY to keep your knowledge up to date.

Gareth, This will make you laugh.I said to my Masters coach last week,"what are your views on the front-quadrant style for free style?".His reply was,"what's front-quadrant??".We desperately need more coaches like you in British swimming.What are your views on heavy work load training schedules,ie over 60k metres a week as opposed to selective training focussing on technique and style more.

ok how about this: 1) You have no way of knowing why Biondi retired at 26. Unless you talk to him personally it is pure speculation. He retired before you (key word you, not he) wanted him to. Get over it. 2) Why doesn't Popov have more relay medals? Because he is a great individual swimmer that swims for a medicore swimming program. Bye bye Iron Curtain, Bye bye Russian and East German dominance. 3) Biondi won Olympic medals in the 200 Free and 100 Fly. Biondi is versatile, Popov is one dimensional.

OK. So it was a time trial with two empty lanes around him. The world record he broke was Jager's, who in 1990 went head-to-head against Biondi. So Jager's 21.81 was in a time-trial like setting, also. Popov races well in most 50 meter free: .) winner in the 1992 Olympics; .) winner in the 1996 Olympics; .) winner in the World Chamionships of 1994; .) winner in the European Championships of 1997.

i really can't figure out why you don't like Biondi except for the fact that he left swimming before you thought he should. to me he seems to have the numbers to back up his greatness. aside- did you know 2 of Biondi's Olympic medals were in Fly? how do you think Popov will do in 2004?