I have been so busy with the XI FINA Masters World Championships, I have not been able to report some of the other things that I learned at the FINA Bureau meeting in Dubai last month.
One of the great things about going to the meetings is the ability to develop personal relationships with the members of the Bureau. On Saturday afternoon, the Bureau meetings were finished. I was walking through the lobby of the beautiful Fairmont Dubai, at one table was Cornel Marculescu, FINA Executive Director, Bill Matson and Dale Neuburger, our FINA rep.
I got called over to them and we talked about the championships to be held at Stanford. After a couple of glasses of wine, somehow the conversation got on the topic of evening out the competition. I told them that when I was in high school in San Francisco, they had a system of exponents for teams and a person could have no more than x amount of points (points were given for age, height and weight). This way you could have a basketball team of people of about like physical ability playing the game.
Bill Matson said that FINA Masters Committee was looking at differenciating the records. The FINA Bureau wants to be more inclusive and the ability to have more records. When you have different types of records more people can go after them.- it will create more excitement and maybe more people will want to swim Masters As FINA is divided into different geographical segments North America, South American, Europe, Asia and Pacific the FINA Masters Committee will be recommending that the records be kept for those areas. (I thought I heard that this was being proposed by the French who wanted there swimmers to be able to get international recognition – there best women Masters swimmers are in the same age group as Laura Val).
Dale said that the US is been opposed to this and that he and June Krauser have been working to keep it in committee, but it looks like he does not have the votes to keep it there. The US thinks that there should be only one set of records and in the current format.
He also said that there is going to be “super category” of Masters records. Masters Masters (age 40-59) and Senior Masters (60+). Cornel said that Walt Reid, who keeps track of all the International Masters Records, while initially opposed to the idea, has developed the software to handle all the new data that will be coming in.
Dale said FINA Masters will be recommending that the Federations have new categories for swimmers who were not age group swimmers (he thought this was marketing than from the competition committee). I laughed and said yea – right – the next thing you would do is to keep records on the BMI (Body Mass Index Scale). Cornel said that was considerd but they would like to see some other changes made first.
Bill said that all that is left to do is that it has to pass the FINA Masters Committee. They will be meeting in Riccione, Italy just before the X FINA Masters World Championships. (Dale thinks that the French and Europeans have the votes to get it through). After it passes there, it will go the the FINA Congress (In past years, it met at the same time as the Olympics, but starting with this Congress, it will meet at the World Championships).
Anyway, that is what I learned at Dubai. And thought you might like to know.
michael
Former Member
Tom,
I re-iterate that you hadn't been insulted by me.
I do mean what I wrote.
I re-post the part in my post relevant to my appreciation for your challenge:
Originally posted by Ion Beza
...
my position is not to create special categories outside timed events, but to value research and awareness of challenges that people undertake;
challenges like this:
...
Tom's and the above challenges fell under obscurantism in USMS.
...
Re-read my post.
Originally posted by Tom Ellison
...
The word DIDN'T is exclusionary in the sense that it removed my efforts and grammatically lumped me in with this obscurantism thought process.
...
The way I constructed my statement is to say that USMS -not me- removed your efforts and grammatically lumped you "...in with this obscurantism process.".
How?
Simply by not reporting your efforts.
Elsewhere, U.S. Swimming did report someone's efforts.
I think what Ion is trying to say is that your(Tom) particular life challenges are not given any attention by USMS. Not to speak for you but I imagine you would say that you don't want any attention although I think it certainly would make an inpirational story. I know I sat and read it and thought I'd be honored to workout with you sometime. You'd probably kick my ass. Come back to North Carolina. We've got a lane for you.
Ion, please take this with the kindness that is the foundation of what I am going to say here. USMS has NEVER lumped me in with your obscurantism thought process. In fact, they posted my USA Top Ten Times, my FINA International Top Ten Time and went so far as to recognize my efforts and successes by printing an article and picture of me in Swim Magazine back in 1997.
USMS has given me every possible opportunity to be whatever I can be. They have never hindered my efforts or goals and have always dealt with me in a positive forthright manner.
Lastly, perhaps your earlier post had a grammatical inaccuracy that I misunderstood. For that, I apologize.
Kindest regards,
Tom
Originally posted by Tom Ellison
...
USMS has NEVER lumped me in with your obscurantism thought process. In fact, they posted my USA Top Ten Times, my FINA International Top Ten Time and went so far as to recognize my efforts and successes by printing an article and picture of me in Swim Magazine back in 1997.
...
I didn't know this.
I spoke too quickly here.
But the point that USMS doesn't emphasize it enough, stands.
Originally posted by Tom Ellison
...
Lastly, perhaps your earlier post had a grammatical inaccuracy that I misunderstood. For that, I apologize.
Kindest regards,
Tom
There is no grammatical inaccuracy in what I wrote.
I meant that your challenge wasn't reported in USMS ("...Tom and the above challenges fell under oscurantism in USMS...") and someone's challenge was reported in U.S. Swimming.
As of now, it turns out that your challenge was reported in USMS, just not enough.
Originally posted by aquageek
...
Ion seems to think the cards are stacked against him - late bloomer, V02Max, USMS not honoring him.
...
If I address this, then you complain that I speak just about me?
My posts in this thread are mainly about challenges of others.
Gosh Ion, USMS is not into building statues or bronze sculptures to immortalize an also ran swimmer like me, who has overcome an element of adversity to swim some decent, (but not spectacular) Top Ten Times. I think…or…should I say; I believe they have gone way over and above in recognizing my successes and accomplishments. Heck, they put a color picture and ¼ page article about me in Swim Magazine. That, in my thinking is going way over and above.
Originally posted by Tom Ellison
...
Heck, they put a color picture and ¼ page article about me in Swim Magazine. That, in my thinking is going way over and above.
For someone who missed that Swim magazine in 1997, it is not emphasized at all in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003.
I bet in 2003 there were opportunities to mention it again, instead of other things that were printed.
Originally posted by Ion Beza
My posts in this thread are mainly about challenges of others.
Yes, but the point is that they overcame the challenges and achieved greatness.
