I was able to watch some of the swimming from the Olympics while attending the Long Course Nationals in Savannah - GREAT meet by the way- and although I was impressed by many of the swims, I couldn't help but wonder if the trials were held too close to the Games and as a result compromised the taper of the US swimmers?
The competition at the trials was fierce. Many world records were set. Many had the swim of their lives at trials (I was lucky enough to attend several sessions). But there was only one month after trials until the games. For that elite level it seems to me that many of the swimmers would be into a four week taper following the trials. But inorder to swim their best to make the team in Long Beach, they would have had to taper for trials. Look at Brendan Hansen with two world records or come from nowhere Katie Hoff.
My understanding is that if you hit your taper you can expect (about) a 2% drop in time. Did anyone do that in Athens? My question is why do we have trials so close to the Games? Seems to me we should have had trials two or three months before the Games.
Any comments?:)
Parents
Former Member
This taper thing has always been too much art and not enough science.
But there is one great thing to come out of this years Olympics, Amanda Beard. She performed great. Why did she do so great and many of our other women did not do as well?
This one is too easy. Amanda learned to swim great on any day of the year. By swimming World Cup where big Bucks (and I don't mean deer) are at stake. She might swim in Sweeden one weekend, and win $50,000. The next weekend Berlin, Ka-Ching another $50,000. Then on to China or London, more money. This is where she played with the 200 freestyle and 200 IM.
Mark Spitz could break world records in practice, I bet Phelps could do it too. This bit of only swimming fast once a year is just poor coaching.
Speaking of the womens 200 freestyle, how lame is a 1:58? Sippy Woodhead was doing that 20 years ago. Natalie would have won the 200 easily, she only led off the relay in a 1:57.
This taper thing has always been too much art and not enough science.
But there is one great thing to come out of this years Olympics, Amanda Beard. She performed great. Why did she do so great and many of our other women did not do as well?
This one is too easy. Amanda learned to swim great on any day of the year. By swimming World Cup where big Bucks (and I don't mean deer) are at stake. She might swim in Sweeden one weekend, and win $50,000. The next weekend Berlin, Ka-Ching another $50,000. Then on to China or London, more money. This is where she played with the 200 freestyle and 200 IM.
Mark Spitz could break world records in practice, I bet Phelps could do it too. This bit of only swimming fast once a year is just poor coaching.
Speaking of the womens 200 freestyle, how lame is a 1:58? Sippy Woodhead was doing that 20 years ago. Natalie would have won the 200 easily, she only led off the relay in a 1:57.
