Why is it that Masters level swimmers who participate in USS sanctioned meets under a separate USS registration can't have their times automatically qualify for USMS rankings and USMS National records? What is the reason for this separation? The rules with USMS and USS seem parallel enough to allow USS swims to qualify under USMS ranking and records. Do we care if elite older swimmers in their 30's (say Gary Hall Jr.) effectively end up owning the USMS national record by default? Is USMS afraid of merging to closely with USS? Why wouldn't USMS want to recognize the true best performance by and old man/women in the pool regardless of whether their card said USS or USMS on it?
John Smith
You're a better man (er, swimmer) than me, Paul. I'm sticking to masters meets. I go to enough of my kids' meets and sometimes I like to (egads!) cross-train, which takes up time. I get plenty of competition from the younger swimmers here who sometimes blow my doors off. (But I will not fess up to holes in my fastskin. Not yet anyway.)
I agree with promoting and endorsing the sport 100%. It's amazing to see what people are capable of as they age. I'm not sure most high school and college swimmers actually know what USMS is unless they have a parent that competes. And, as I said before, 99.9% of the world doesn't care about USMS times or even know USMS exists. That's too bad. If you guys kick butt at some of these USS meets that will help or inspire kids to respect and emulate us old guys.
Maybe carried to a logical extreme, your argument is right and Olympians should be able to claim USMS records because what you're really after is a true list of the best times performed by anyone in any meet in that age bracket. Part of me is just worried that the vast majority of masters swimmers, who aren't as talented and willing to get their butts whupped in USS meets, might find that purism disheartening. They might just want USS-only Olympians to stay in their own USS venue so that they can have some fun at their own masters meets swimming against super talented masters swimmers or those who are just trying to stay fit and have fun competing.
You're a better man (er, swimmer) than me, Paul. I'm sticking to masters meets. I go to enough of my kids' meets and sometimes I like to (egads!) cross-train, which takes up time. I get plenty of competition from the younger swimmers here who sometimes blow my doors off. (But I will not fess up to holes in my fastskin. Not yet anyway.)
I agree with promoting and endorsing the sport 100%. It's amazing to see what people are capable of as they age. I'm not sure most high school and college swimmers actually know what USMS is unless they have a parent that competes. And, as I said before, 99.9% of the world doesn't care about USMS times or even know USMS exists. That's too bad. If you guys kick butt at some of these USS meets that will help or inspire kids to respect and emulate us old guys.
Maybe carried to a logical extreme, your argument is right and Olympians should be able to claim USMS records because what you're really after is a true list of the best times performed by anyone in any meet in that age bracket. Part of me is just worried that the vast majority of masters swimmers, who aren't as talented and willing to get their butts whupped in USS meets, might find that purism disheartening. They might just want USS-only Olympians to stay in their own USS venue so that they can have some fun at their own masters meets swimming against super talented masters swimmers or those who are just trying to stay fit and have fun competing.
