USRPT vindicated?

The folks over at SwimSwam are just being brutal to MA. To be fair, that was an ugly last 15m or so in the 200 IM final but still. I think there is more than a little schadenfreude at his result due to politics or dislike for the family or whatever. But it is not at all so clear to me (as it is to many of the people there) that USRPT cannot produce a 200 swimmer.

His times in the 200 IM were podium-worthy. Yes he didn’t do those times inTokyo but he is hardly the only person to add time to his Trials time.

I do not know enough about the swimmers that USRPT produces to know if his (terrible) 200 IM race strategy is specific to him. If there is IMO one component missing from his swimming, it is not strength, speed or endurance, it is pacing. Is hs incapable of doing a controlled fast first 100 in a 200? (That’s an honest question.) If so, is that a fault of USRPT for not emphasizing pacing work? After all “pacing work” is a form of race-pace training.

IMO producing a strong last 50 is a matter of not practicing the desired pace on that 50, it is a matter of practicing a more controlled first 150. If he had enough in the tank he would be able to bring it home. IMO it is not a physiological problem, it is clear (to me at least) that he has the capability of winning Olympic gold if he swam a smarter race. But no one can sprint a 200 from start to finish, and I was 99% sure that the other top swimmers would be able to capitalize on his poor race strategy.

Well said 

Well said