Controversy...Is it all about winning!

Thanks Paul. Then I did remember that right. Just a warning. Be carefull of stuff like that on your relays. If that would have been a FINA meet they would have DQ you for going in the wrong order. Also, watch were you sit in the marshalling chairs in the area. A friend of mine sat in the second chair, which was the breaststroke chair and they made her swim *** and the person sitting in the first chair swim the back in the medley and its recked there relay in Montreal. I think in your case they would have stopped the relay because they would have seen Rowdy and seen his credentials and that would not have matched the relay card and so in a FINA meet he would have swam correctly and gotten the record. I know this year Rowdy did a relay with Dara and went :21.3 but I don't know if it was the leadoff or not. I was hoping to see Rowdy and you swim against each other in the 50 Free at Coral Springs but he had to get back Colorado. He is always a welcome presence when he comes to our meets regardless of what team he swims for. When I won the Toyota Olympic trivia contest at the Swim Clinic in Coral Springs I received a book that I already had and wanted to give it to him but he did not want it and wanted to give it to the second place finisher. So Paul, you guys have to do what they do in the Olympics and people have to prove there worth to be selected on the A relays. That is good because you don't want any controversys like the Men's 400 Free Relay or the Women's 800 Free Relay at Athens. So that will put more pressure on all of the TYR swimmers to earn there keep on the relays. Julie, I know the rule I was just giving Mr. Goodsmith the business because I know how he feels about those foreign swimmers swimming at the NCAA's. I was just trying to see if he had a change of heart when it comes to the FINA World Masters Swimming Championships.

Originally posted by Peter Cruise Frank- I would not give John a hard time about Vlad 'cause it is a totally different issue, in fact, a non-issue. Peter: Agreed. What I really wanted to know is how they found this guy to swim for Team TYR? I know that all of the past swimmers have competed against each other in college and at USMS Nationals. What I wanted to know is that this is the first time I have ever heard of him swimming in Masters in that Illinois State Championship which was less than 3 months ago. Did one of the swimmers know him from international meets? Like I don't have a problem with connection with old friends, enjoying masters swimming, and trying to create a fast relay. I am wondering if they swam against him in the old days and created a friendship. That is all.

Maybe Amanda Beard could join that team Yep - she'd "fit" on that team just fine.

Frank- I would not give John a hard time about Vlad 'cause it is a totally different issue, in fact, a non-issue. I think that we should all cut John a little slack, as things will be difficult enough when he finds that he has been assigned a special marshall to ensure that he makes it to his correct heat at Worlds.

Frank- Paul & John were originally going to swim for Team Victoria's Secret, but that fell through when they couldn't get a team negligee in Paul's size. Perhaps they met through that connection?

Originally posted by Peter Cruise Frank- Paul & John were originally going to swim for Team Victoria's Secret, but that fell through when they couldn't get a team negligee in Paul's size. Perhaps they met through that connection? Maybe Amanda Beard could join that team. Wait that's another thread, sorry!

Frank, Thanks for posting all pertinent information about my life. You missed a couple things, I take a 50 long jacket and wear size 13 shoes. I would like to clear up a couple of things. 1st, the whole TYR situation. I am currently the Sr. Coach at a club (Northbrook Spartan Swim Club) with 300+ swimmers and for the past year we have been a TYR contracted club. Although I am swimming for Team TYR I will not be on any relays, I have swimmers at the Jr. Nationals and have to be there. I swam the IL masters Unattached because that is how I originally registered. I knew well before then that I was going to swim Team TYR. Even though I hadn't swum masters meets, I had been competing in USA Swimming meets. When our club signed the TYR contract, Matt Zimmer put me in touch with the guys from Team TYR. I wasn't recruited, I contacted them. I also have had my green card for 5 years. This November I (along with my wife Natalia Mechtcheriakova) am applying for US citizenship. We are excited to join our daughter (who was born here) as American citizens. That brings me to my second point. I came to the US 7 years ago, because of the lack of support from the All - Russian Swimming Federation. You posted some links to stories about positive drug tests (thank god for Google!). Unfortunately there is nothing about my appeal to FINA that reduced my suspension from 4 to 2 years, because it was proven that none of us knowingly took any drugs. I just want to set the record straight. As far as being an "Arena man", that wasn't by choice. Our team was sponsored by Arena, we could not get individual contracts(except for Alex) to suppliers. Since I've been in the US I have used Speedo, TYR, NIKE, Arena, etc.,. I'm looking forward to Worlds and hope everybody swims fast and has fun! Vlad

Frank, Do we really need to review my opposition to foriegn athletes taking collegiate scholarship money away from US citizens again? Look, if masters had the seriousness element to it that NCAA and USS swimming has (which it doesn't) I'd still support Vlad's swimming efforts in the US on any level as he is genuinely making the US his home...... i.e. a LEGAL residence toward eventual citizenship and further more he is coaching US swimmers and giving his skills to the sport for this country. Still think this thread is much a do about nothing. Although I do regret not having thought of it first. This thread is going to be one of the top 2 most controversial threads of the year. I have my work cut out for me to find a topic that is more argumentative for the coveted "Most controversial thread" trophy. John Smith PS- I used to be known as the most irritating person in masters swimming. I think I prefer "Team Whore" now.

I was looking over the Team TYR team roster and recognized a lot of names from past AAU, USS/USA, Olympic Trials, Olympics, and USMS Natiional Meets. Names like Jeff Commings, Anna Pettis Scott, Greg Rhodenbaugh, Rich Saeger, and Susan Von Der Lippe (RAP). Oh yes and Robert Paul, John C, and Paul L, the Smiths. In fact, this relay with Rowdy Gaines, won the 200 Free Relay in 2004, at Indy, with a 1:24.05 and smashing the record and beat the second place team by 5.89 seconds. I remember watching that relay and seeing a great leadoff by Rowdy Gaines, but it must of not been him because the Record in the Top Ten said he swam the anchor leg when in fact I though one of the Smith's did. Anyway I wonder if that same relay will be assembled and who will be the 4th person or any persons with the Smith's because the possibilities are endless. Which brings me to my next question. Team TYR has an Ace in there card deck that no one has mentioned and I noticed immediately. He is one of ony six people on the 26 person roster than is not an Individual Event All American. Of the 6 people that are not individual All American, three have been named USMS Relay All Americans and this Ace is not a Relay All American. In fact he has never been in the USMS Top Ten. The person I am referring to is maybe the greatest swimmer on there roster. His name is Vladimir Pyshnenko and he placed 5th in the 200 Meter Free at the 1992 Olympic Games. He was also on the United Team (Russia) that took the Gold medal in the 800 Free Relay in a World Record time of 7:11.95. In fact that was the first time in Olympic history the USA had lost that Relay. That World Record stood for 7 years until the Aussies got it. But what he is famous for is that he had the second fastest split of anyone in those Olympic Games in the Relay at 1:46.58 and even beat his countryman and Olympic Gold Medalist in the Individual Event, Evgeni Sadovyi who went 1:46.83 and the only other person to go faster at those games was Holmertz of Sweden and he went 1:46.16. In fact at that time Vladimir was the 4th fastest relay split of all time behind Lamberti (1:45.53), Biondi (1:46.44) and Holmertz. He also won the bronze medal in 1994 in the 100 Free at the Goodwill games when Alexender (Russian Rocket) Popov won gold. He was also on the 1996 Silver 400 Free Relay and had to swim against Gary Hall when he went the fastest relay split of all time to that point. The Rocket swam second on that relay. So, may I ask, how did you recruit this foreign swimmer or maybe he is not because he probably got his green card. Was this something that Team TYR did through there connections. This guy used to work out with Popov and in fact I believe his coach was one of the great swim coaches of our time Gennadi Touretski. In fact this guy is real good friends with Popov and boy that would have been something if you could have gotten him to join the team even though he is a true Arena product man. There was another Russian that swam masters and was All American in 1993 and his name was Sergey Mariniuk and he was friends with Vladimir and Popov as well. He was is the book "Gold in the Water" and was still training in 2000 and trying to make the Olympic team. I wonder if he is still swimming. Which beings me to the question, is he going to swim in Rowdy's place on the relay or is Rich Sager. You don't have to tell us if you don't want to. If any of you know this guy on your team I would like to meet him if I could. I know he is only signed up for the 100 Free (:52.64) and the 200 Free (1:56.32) and he will be racing some world class talent like Josh Davis but I believe they are in different age groups. Anyways I look forward to seeing this relay of who ever it is smash the World Record. Because of how John feels about foreign swimmers, Cruise is going to have a field day with this. Also its to bad that Greg didn't ask his sister Kim from Team Rhodenbaugh to swim in the meet and then you would have had the complete USA Women's team in the 200 Meter *** from the 1984 Olympics on Team TYR. I did a little research and found some news on Vladimir and I will not comment on it because I don't want to or know how to comment on it and I will provide a link here. I know that he was coaching High School and Club team somewhere near Northbrook, Illinois but that was a while ago. www.swimnews.com/.../displayStory.jhtml chronicle.augusta.com/.../spo_overtime.html www.sfgate.com/.../article.cgi

I was among those that saw Vlad swim at the ILMSA meet in April. He posted some impressive times there Men 35-39 100 Yard Free 35-39 ILMSA: 47.12 I 1998 THOMAS J. REDIG 1 Pyshnenko, Vlad 36UN-IL 45.32I 22.06 45.32 Men 35-39 200 Yard Free 35-39 ILMSA: 1:44.15 I 2005 Matt Keller 1 Pyshnenko, Vlad 36UN-IL 1:40.00I 23.41 48.45 1:13.98 1:40.00