The FINA Bureau approved the dates, the schedule of events and the qualifying times for the XI FINA Masters Championships that will be held at the Avery Aquatic Center, Stanford University, Stanford California - August 4 - 17, 2006
Qualifying Times
The qualifying times are now posted. These times are easier than the USMS Long course times, however, remember if you do not swim at or faster than the qualify time you will receive "no time" for your effort - your swim will not count.
Schedule of Events
The schedule of events is up. The swimming portion will take place August 4th through 10th; and will include a day of relays. The open water swim will be on August 11th. There are also schedules for the other aquatic disciplines.
Hotel Rooms
The organizing committee has been working with a destination management company to get hotels at a good rate for swimmers. Those rates are only available if you book through the Internet portal that has been set up that has been set up or if you call the toll free number. Once to the home page of the hotel registration select your stay dates and number of guests in the room first then you will get a list of available hotels.(Also the Internet portal works best with IE 5.01 and IE 6.0+) .
Web Site
All of the above information can be found at the XI FINA World Masters Championship web site - www.2006FINAMasters.org .
Vacation destination
San Francisco and northern California is one of the premeire tourist destinations in the world. Besides the great swimming venue, there will be many day trips scheduled for you or your significant other (or children). This will be a great time to plan a vacation to the golden state.
The Organizing Committee is working on days trips and discounted airfares. Announcements will be made as the plans are made final.
michael
Michael W. Moore, president
XI FINA World Masters Championships - 2006
Stanford Unversity
Stanford California
Former Member
I move like a turtle... The times don't seem good or bad. And if nothing else, by setting the bar a tad lower you make people like me believe it's possible to at least show up and swim one time. ;)
Originally posted by PeirsolFan
I move like a turtle... The times don't seem good or bad. And if nothing else, by setting the bar a tad lower you make people like me believe it's possible to at least show up and swim one time. ;)
YEAH! I'll tell you, last year my first race was the 50fly. I'd driven there from Florence, gotten stuck in a traffic jam on the freeway and arrived JUST as they were calling my name...
Did the race the best I could (came in something like 38th, but I DID make the QT!!) and as I hit the touch pad, I said to myself:
"WOW! I JUST PARTICIPATED IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS! THAT FELT GREAT!!"
and, you know what? it still does!! :D
PS: What's a sandbagger? Enlighten me!
Be that as it may, that Mr. Heather feels that my finding sandbagging annoying to not belong on this thread(and I do, esp. blatant cases), the point I was trying to make, and am entirely open to correction, is that I don't think there have been hordes of people abusing the honour system regarding entry times at these sort of meets (Nats, Worlds).
I am happy to debate the relative merits of sandbagging with anyone on any thread. Most of the threads here seem to morph into something other than the original thought posted anyway. My inference to another Discussion Forum was in response to the irrational fear and loathing that some people have about the practice. Perhaps some introspection would help, rather than lashing out at a perfectly legal and sometimes practical manouver.
The fact is that sandbagging, even if it is done at every meet, is done by very few people, and fewer yet are regular sandbaggers. The annoyance one may feel towards the person who chooses to sandbag is more likely the guilt of the annoyed for not trying harder, once one has seen the results and discovered that one has been bested by a sandbagger.
Sandbagging is not easy to make work to one's own advantage. You have to be particularly keen to swim your own race, and not fall into the trap of merely being a heat winner. It is fun to be ahead, but without real competition, you can easily lose your focus or the pace that is required for the maximum effort and best possible result.
I have sandbagged on occasion, and feel no remorse. I have even done it at nationals, when I wanted to get the most rest possible between my 800 free and next day's 200 butterfly. No apologies here, folks.
Sandbagging is not dishonest, and it is quite well within the unofficial spirit of Masters swimming.****JOKE ALERT****THE FOLLOWING IS A JOKE****..use old age and guile to defeat youth and talent.
Originally posted by Michael Heather
Sandbagging is not dishonest, and it is quite well within the unofficial spirit of Masters swimming...use old age and guile to defeat youth and talent.
It's dishonest for a number of reasons. First, it's lying. Second, you sandbag, you adversely impact all in your heat and other heats. Third, there is no unofficial spirit of Master's swimming that I've seen that encourages cheats. Fourth, Masters points are scored by your age group, not other age groups. Last, the only real reason to sandbag is if you are afraid of your competition and desire to swim against those of lesser, or developing, talent.
For instance, I do not drop my times in the 200 free when racing gull80 in my clown suit. He has grown accustomed to the whooping he takes from my floppy footed suit with a legit time.
I used the word "annoying" on purpose; I save the stronger words for more important issues. I am annoyed that whenever I go to Canadian or US Nats at these guys who *oops!* discover that they are six seconds faster than the rest of us, esp. in breastsroke where you can see them disappearing into the sunset. Yes, I know, stick to your own race & pace; be strong in your own self, grasshopper, yada yada yada. As I say...annoying.
Now, as to that which I find truly discombobulating...dolphin kick in breastroke, for example, I 'll find a more appropriate venue.
We are throwing around some pretty powerful accusations here, perhaps you would like to rethink some of the things you have said?
Dishonest? I don't think so. even sandbages have to enter the meet and be listed on the heat sheets, just like everyone else.
Lying? Hardly. No one expects you to enter the fastest time you ever did for an event, and there is no requirement that I am aware of that compels you even to enter an accurate time. Usually, if it is referred to at all, you are asked to enter your best estimate or no time.
Cheat? Now here you have gone too far. sandbaggers are swimmers, too. They do not turn around in the middle of the pool or wear fins on the blocks.
Think of them like you might a fitness swimmer at a meet, they just want to get their time and go home, where they are probably not accused of being a dishonest, lying cheat.
As long as there is no rule against the practice, they are none of the above, and perhaps you could show a little dignity by saving accusations like those for a proper time and venue.
And save your petty insult about being afraid of competition. Fear spews from the false accuser.
