I've often wondered why swimming doesn't have the equivalent of the decathlon in Track & Field. i.e 10 events swum over a 2 day period with points assigned to each performance. (For the women it's 7 events, but that's another story.)
If we were to construct such a decathlon, which events should be included and in what order? Note that these are all finals - no heats. (Unlike, track, I think that the women should swim the same 10 events as well.) Also, should we use only the pool swimming events, or should we include diving, open water swimming and, *shudder* synchronized swimming?
-LBJ
For the past three years (but not this year), Richport held a pentathlon. The meet order was 50, 100, and 200 of each stroke (fly, then back, then ***, then free), with 100/200/400 IMs at the end. No relays. You were allowed to sign up for any five events, but were encouraged to try one of the pentathlons:
sprint: 50's + 100 IM
middle: 100's + 200 IM
long: 200's + 400 IM
This was a December (early season) meet, so anyone who finished a pentathlon got a printed certificate (no "points per event").
... On a different note, maybe a swimming decathlon would include pulling with paddles, kicking with fins, kickboard toss across the pool (well away from the spectators), and an underwater (no breathe) swim. (The last would have to be a fixed distance for time. Otherwise, with the competitive nature of some people, a "maximum distance underwater swim" would have the lifeguards dregging up passed-out swimmers, non-stop. :) )
Regarding the comparison to track's decathlon: It is felt by some, me included, that the decathlon is seriously flawed WRT stacking everything towards the shorter running events and the decathletes whine like scalded dogs about the 1500 run as it is.
So, if the goal in a swimming decathlon is to measure the best all-around swimmer, I would argue for the inclusion of at least one of the longer events (1500 or open water).
So for a true decathlon (10 events) that could hopefully cover all abilities do the shortest and longest of each stroke and IM (of course that format would still give the I.M ers an advantage)
Free 50 & 1500 (1650)
Back 50 & 200
*** 50 & 200
Fly 50 & 200
IM 100 & 400
There you go !
Aquathalon format
This would be hard to do because track covers all of their skills, and then a selection of distances. The problem is that we have so many skills. For the strokes a 200 is a totally different beast than the 50/100s. (And drop dead sprinters would argue that the 50 is a totally different beast than 100/200).
From a distance swimmer's perspective I would propose the following 10 events.
400m free, 400m IM
200m Fly, 200m Br, 200mBk, 200m IM
100 Fr, 100 Bk, 100 Br, 100 Fl
I suspect the sprinters among us would propose a different partitioning. :=>
If this were held with the current crop of world class swimmers, the only thing keeping Phelps from victory would be if he fell of the blocks and broke his leg.
BTW I am not associated with NBAC or any of its members, so neither Phelps nor any of his coaches suggested this list to me.
Bear in mind in the athletics decathlon, their shortest and longest 'runs' are 100m and 1500m, that take ~10 secs and >4mins to complete. (Of course, athletes also compete in 5km, 10km and marathon events, but decathletes are spared having to run such distances.)
Compare that to swimming ... at the Olympics, the shortest event is the 50m, with the longest pool event being the 1500m .... that take ~25secs up to ~15 mins. (Again, open water events usually cover 5km up to 25km, but again, aquatic decthletes could be spared having to swim such distances.)
The moral .... surely a swimming decathlon of any sort should include both 50m and 1500m events as two of the 10 events to ascertain overall speed/endurance supremacy???
