I propose a rule change for the championship committee. If someone misses their heat at USMS Nationals due to general stupidity and day dreaming, they should be allowed to swim in an open lane in that same event.
John Smith
(2006 psuedo champion, 50yd back)
Why does this seem to happen more in masters than age group swimming?
I coached both age group and masters, and I had to berate my masters swimmers a lot more for missing their heat than the 11-year-olds. And the masters swimmers had years of experience. Though I was easy on the ones who were dealing with kids.
John, that's unexcusable, though I'm glad you're able to own the mishap. I think I'd have you swimming all by yourself. Imagine the humiliation if you missed a longer event.
And no, I've never missed an event in my adult life.
The Truth:
there was a big time Texas stare down going on behind the blocks between John & Clay.......bragging rights to the 50 back on the line, friendships, past teammates forgotten.
John.....you do know that Clay was aware you we're on the wrong course??!!
What was his quote to you afterwards?
JS.....you went 24.9 at altitude unrested/unshaved......Clay won with a 24.8......so think you need to lay down a beer bet....just make the heat next time!
As for my relay leadoff......all that matters is that for 25 yards I was a HERO! To come up ahead of Clay on the start and flip even with him is all that matters.....so what if my legs slipped 90 degrees onthe pus off and I came to a dead stop then beat on the lane line for 3 strokes!!
By the way.....it would have been nice if you Randy & Rich could have stopped laughing long enough fo me to climb out of the pool!
Yes, perhaps the person should have to wear a bright yellow dunce cap while he/she is swimming to designate his attentive nature as punishment..... or perhaps a hat with shark fins on the top.
Note, however, I would be willing to do this after flying to the meet and paying the entry fee.
John Smith
Clay has very little to worry about in the 50 back.
Yes, I suppose, I was more interested in his race than my own.
Due note, however, that your 50 back wasn't much better than mine...... actually, you get more points for entertainment than I do.
John Smith
Originally posted by Jeff Commings
Why does this seem to happen more in masters than age group swimming?
I think it's because we're too embarrassed to write our heat and lane on the back of our hands :)
Thanks Nancy, which is why I think they should have rules at Championships.
If the switch of the relay was done legally, everything possible should have been done to correct Rowdy's relay. However, if the rules state that switches in order can not be done after a certain point, then my opinion is, the relay was not even legal. I don't know the USMS championship rules and don't know if they have such rules. If they don't have rules about names, then the names should have been changed and Rowdy should have gotten the time, even if it meant someone pulling all the paperwork out of storage and fixing it. I have done this before for our meets, it is a pain, but fair to the swimmer.
I never said the volunteers feel put upon, when I run a meet, I do everything possible in my power to make sure that times swum are correct and the meet is the best experience for the swimmer. I just know that certain things like lane hopping make my ability to do that difficult. At our meets, I know most of the swimmers and can catch when someone is not where they are suppose to be, or the meet ref will catch if for me. At a meet with thousands of swimmers, not hundereds, this would be very hard. And then people would be complaining about how bad the results were.
Originally posted by Peter Cruise
I think that John, as penance and in the spirit of well-earned humility, should volunteer at NCAA meets to help foreign scholarship swimmers to avoid making the mistake that he made.
Bahahaha, hey John we only have a few foreign kids on the team, but I need a Colorado operator Saturday morning.
