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?:)
I remember seeing Dennis Pursley on TV during the 1992 Olympic Trials which were held in early March of that year. He said that USA swimming would experiement with having an early trials in 1996 also and then make changes if they need to. The NCAA was not favor of the Trials during this time because it disrupt the college season and there Championships.
Also there were swimmers in the summer of 1996 that were swimming faster than Olympians that made the team. The one I remember was Misty Hyman and her time that year at summer nationals in the 200 Fly was faster than any American but she did not swim that fast during the High School season in March which was about 4 months ago from her fast swim. I beleive she when 2:10 and went 2:13 in March of that year when trials were held.
Phil, great first post and I do remember the detailed analysis that Swimming World did back in the Fall of 1997. Also in the June 2004 issue of Swimming World you did an article about the South African 400 Free Relay "Out Of Africa" and how they would become a threat to every country and go about 3:13.65. Nice prediction.
I remember seeing Dennis Pursley on TV during the 1992 Olympic Trials which were held in early March of that year. He said that USA swimming would experiement with having an early trials in 1996 also and then make changes if they need to. The NCAA was not favor of the Trials during this time because it disrupt the college season and there Championships.
Also there were swimmers in the summer of 1996 that were swimming faster than Olympians that made the team. The one I remember was Misty Hyman and her time that year at summer nationals in the 200 Fly was faster than any American but she did not swim that fast during the High School season in March which was about 4 months ago from her fast swim. I beleive she when 2:10 and went 2:13 in March of that year when trials were held.
Phil, great first post and I do remember the detailed analysis that Swimming World did back in the Fall of 1997. Also in the June 2004 issue of Swimming World you did an article about the South African 400 Free Relay "Out Of Africa" and how they would become a threat to every country and go about 3:13.65. Nice prediction.
