Cant remember where I read it, but I heard that someone is petitioning to have Popov's 50 LCM Free world record expunged since it was done in a time trial.
I disagree. If it was done legally, it should stand as a WR.
Meets are there to crown champions and award medals etc under race circumstances, but the pool and the clock are there all the time, taking on all comers.
Steve
Former Member
ande and FranK:
OK I'm getting my meets mixed up.
In 1980, before the USA announced the Olympic boycott, Spring Nationals were held at Texas and the set up was long course--correct? And at that meet Rowdy broke the WR in the 200 (1:49. something). Plus there were several other fast times including if I'm not mistaken--Per Ardvidsson (Sweden/SMU?) broke Spitz's 100 BU record by going a 54.10? Did he do that in prelims--was it broken again at finals? And didn't Bruce Stahl break the 50 WR at this meet? Sterkel in the women's 50 too--maybe this was the event where the women's 50 got broken twice in the morning and once in the evening?
Now the 1981 meet--I remember Paulus breaking the 100 fly record, and Gaines going the :49.36, yet don't remember it being in a time trial. Which meet did Meagher break the women's 100 fly--a low :59?
My mind is water logged!
Kirk:
I agree with you that the 50 LC Meter Free would be the event least likely to benefit from a time trial but only if certain stipulations were met. If you had the pools that the Olympics, World Championships, and NCAA swim at and the type of competitors that swim in these type of championships, then your arguement might stick. These types of pools are deep and no shallower than 7 feet. They also have superior gutter designs where there will be minimal wave action and surface turbulence. Without this you will have choppy water creating a surface that will be slow affecting a swimmers progress rather than a nice calm pool of the same type not creating these difficulities. Also if you did not have adequate lane lines and have swimmers with different abilities like a lot of Masters meets, then a swimmer will be fighting backwash of the leading swimmers.
I think a lot of the time trial debate has to do with the psychology of the swim. What Tom Jager said 20 years ago is that if you are all alone swimming a 50 Free with no psychological pressure you get in a competitive meet situation, then you will have an advantage over someone swimming in competition with 8 people. Don Schollander said in 1964, that even leading off a relay to comparing someone in a competetive swimming situation you will have a competitive advantage because of the psychological pressure. Two different swimmers, 20 years apart and same response.
It would be interesting for someone like say, Gary Hall Jr. to analyze this because he swims in a lot of situations like this with the fastest swimmers in the world and see if he feels there is a difference than swimming alone in a time trial. The reason he would be good is I am sure he has been timed in a trial and he would be able to assess the situation better with the factors I discussed. He has also come close to the World Record but that was in a competitive swimming situation. Would he have gone faster than :21.76 back in 2000 if he swam all by himself in the center of the pool at IUPUI and break the World Record of :21.64
Lefty:
Most of this stuff is memory. I did look up the two Austin meets because as Patrick said there was a lot of confusion about the competitive swims vs time trial swims. Thru the years I read the swim publications and one of the hot topics is time trial swims for World Records. I am not sure if this is an accurate statement but I think the swimming community does not like this because they want to see it in competition.
Popov brought up a very good point in that he was the first person to go under :22.00 in the 50 Free in a competitive meet because the Nashville swims were more like a time trial so he didn't feel guilty doing his because others had done it before. Roland Schoeman has the fastest 50 Free in a competitive meet and he may not go faster than :21.64 and so that is why people want to petition this. Like I said before the swimming federations will have to petition FINA to get this changed otherwise its still going to happen.
Just think if someone broke one of Michael Phelps records in a time trial instead of a competetive meet, what would people think? Just think if Kate Ziegler broke a couple of Janet Evans records in a time trial, what would people think. Janet Evans is quite possibly could break Mary T Meager record for time of a World Record which would exceed 19 years in one of the 3 long course events she has the World records because that time is approaching.
It seems to me the 50 meter long course free is the event LEAST likely to benefit from a time trial. There are no turns and anyone who's going to set a world record will be in the lead or very near the lead for the entire swim so they will be minimally affected by other swimmers in the pool.
