Hi Steve:
Did you mean to say high touch pads as opposed to lower touch pads where you can grab on to a gutter for fly and *** and during transitions in the IM events. I believe Michael is correct and sometimes that is an adjustment for swimmers to get used to. I remember the 1989 Pan Pacfic meet was the first time I ever encountered this and sometimes you can slip on those touch pads and back in those days get a DQ in IM events because one shoulder was not level with the other when pushing off the wall. I believe they got rid of that rule sometime in the 1990's and so its been easier to deal with this now. I don't think I have ever been to a masters meet of any kind that does this except the FINA World Championship meets. I think this might be a FINA only rule because I haven't seen it at any other USA National or NCAA meets. Now I could be wrong on this and didn't pay attention. Maybe all off the Olympic Trials meets and Nationals set up the courses like this. Which brings me to another FINA pool set up question. I remember hearing many years ago that FINA would not allow the use of Wave Eater lane markers. I don't know if this is still true or was ever true in the first place. Myabe someone out there knows of this.
Hi Steve:
Did you mean to say high touch pads as opposed to lower touch pads where you can grab on to a gutter for fly and *** and during transitions in the IM events. I believe Michael is correct and sometimes that is an adjustment for swimmers to get used to. I remember the 1989 Pan Pacfic meet was the first time I ever encountered this and sometimes you can slip on those touch pads and back in those days get a DQ in IM events because one shoulder was not level with the other when pushing off the wall. I believe they got rid of that rule sometime in the 1990's and so its been easier to deal with this now. I don't think I have ever been to a masters meet of any kind that does this except the FINA World Championship meets. I think this might be a FINA only rule because I haven't seen it at any other USA National or NCAA meets. Now I could be wrong on this and didn't pay attention. Maybe all off the Olympic Trials meets and Nationals set up the courses like this. Which brings me to another FINA pool set up question. I remember hearing many years ago that FINA would not allow the use of Wave Eater lane markers. I don't know if this is still true or was ever true in the first place. Myabe someone out there knows of this.
