Simple. You have absolute power to change any technique rules, start/finish rules, age up rules, sky is the limit as long as the rules pertain to swimming. What would you change and why?
Since you are new, I understand your bewilderment about the deck protocols, but I suggest you get used to the Odd/Even pool scenario. In the old days, USMS nationals ran Mens and Womens heats simultaneously, side by side. The result was that you could not watch your friends of the opposite sex race since you were worried that your heat would be coming up too soon. The women invariably ended their days 2 hours before the men, and the meets went on until about 4pm at best.
The curent style of National meet operations is by no means perfect, but until we find the perfect one, it is what works best.
But, Michael, does the "old days" apply now? Aren't there more women USMS swimmers "nowadays?" (Just like there are more women going to college.) I don't remember there being a two hour time differential between the mens' and womens' pool at Worlds, although I wasn't paying particularly close attention. I thought it was more like a half an hour. Anyway, every other meet I've been in has either been mixed men and women in the same pool or separated them into two pools or just plain separated men and women in one pool. So, I don't think I'll be "getting used to it." It will just sporadically annoy me if I continue to go to Nationals. I just don't know if I feel like going all the way to Seattle just to be confused and befuddled .... although I'm liking being 45. Last year, I was the very oldest 44 year old there, I think.
Also, I'm not sure about the rationale of friend watching. I have teammates and people I'd like to watch in all age groups, not just my own.
P.S. To Allen Stark, if you're reading: I read an old thread where you commented on Nationals. I completely agree that, when I go to Nationals, I want to swim against the very best in my age -- who are pretty darn good. I do not want to be seeded by time. That's what I do at all the local meets.
Medley: Aaron Piersol, Brendan Hansen, Mary Descenza, Amanda Weir.
Free: Neil Walker, Cullen Jones, Amanda Weir, Natalie Coughlin.
That was easy.
I would take off Descenza and put in Coughlin for fly. I'm also not sure about anchoring with a female.
And Jeff didn't you go to UT? IT'S PEIRSOL!
Anyway ... what about the 800 for me it's Phelps, Keller, Coughlin and Hoff (that one is too easy)
The difference in fly, back, and free from men to women is about the same (in terms of WR) the biggest difference is in breaststroke, so I'd definitely have Hansen in there, but I think I'd want to anchor with Jones but that means Nat leading off and Komisarz on fly I guess ... I'm not sure I love that team either.
I agree with your 400 free team completely Jeff. Just not sure about the medley ... hmmm ...
I can't resist:
Remove the 50 free from the Olympics. Any race where you can't tell who medalled without electronic timing isn't worth a medal. Give those medals to women's 1500 and men's 800 winners.
How about mandating 100m pools for the Olympics, really separate the swimmers from the turners.
Ok, more seriously, has anyone mentioned underwater cameras for all lanes with possible DQ on review. And all video from all cameras for the entire meet available on the internet.
;)
Mixed MR-Coughlin,Hansen,Crocker,Weir. Of course since I'm the dictator I'd let each country enter 2 MRs. Actually I'd just have qualifying times for the Olympics just like Nationals. If you qualify you go,regardless of country.I think swimming is international enough that there would almost never be more tha 3 swimmers from one country finalling in any event,but if there are,Oh Well, they are the best in the world(I thouight the most likely country to have 4 swimmers final would be the Australian women free sprinters,and then Germany broke their record and the US nearly matched the Germans.
Simple. You have absolute power to change any technique rules, start/finish rules, age up rules, sky is the limit as long as the rules pertain to swimming. What would you change and why?
Probably others have suggested this, but I would remove the back-to-*** turn that requires you to put one hand on the wall. The rule really makes no sense. One should be allowed to flip on your stomach, perform the turn, and push off to breaststroke.
Get rid of that odd/even heats in different pools thing they did/do at Nationals.
In addition to Michael's response on this, one other thing that sucks about having the different genders in different pools is that the women are always running a faster meet than men, primarily because there are almost always fewer heats of women.
Lindsay:
I'm not sure about the under camera review. What sports currently uses the camera to overturn calls? Football and some hockey stuff at the goal? Is there any other sport? Of course, the camera review would have DQ'd Kitajima at the last games, which would have been nice.
I think there was some review of video at the World Cup of Soccer/Football and they use electronic review in tennis. The big problem with video reviews is that it would reduce the need to change rules that officials find difficult to judge - which means that it is harder to find ways to keep those world records dropping. ;)
Wouldn't the quality of officiating be much better if you didn't have to rely on "real-time" processing? Wouldn't it be cool if you didn't need so many officials to get an official time, just submit a video!
Wouldn't it be a great learning tool to be able to access all that video? Wouldn't it be great if underwater video equipment became standard equipment in pools and you could easily get video of yourself?
