Tracy Caulkins didn't hold world records in all 4 strokes and IM only because the East German women were roided-up. On a level playing field she would have been unbeatable. If the 1980 Olympics weren't boycotted and the E. Germans didn't cheat who knows how many golds she would have gotten.
Allen:
Not all records during this time period were by East German swimmers. In fact the Russians went 1-2-3 in the 200 *** at the 1980 Olympic Games and we really don't know if they were on drugs during this time and I am completely against speculation on this subject. The times of the first two swimmers were 3.5 seconds ahead of Tracy and other American swimmers. I say other American swimmers because you don't know if they would have won and its pointless to speculate. Tracy tied for 1st in the Olympic Trials with Terry Baxter in the 200 *** so you don't know who would have won and I believe other American swimmers were not roided up so we will never know what would have happened.
Now there is one event that I know Tracy Caukins would not have won even though she had the World Record from the 1978 World Championships. Mary T Meager did a 2:06.37 in the 200 Fly and was more than 3.5 seconds ahead of the 2:09.87 from 1978. We will never know what would have happened in 1980, but judging by the swims and performances of Mary T in this event during this time period in which she had not lost to an American in LCM it would be pretty hard to say she would not be unbeatable.
The same thing could be said for the other breastroke races. In fact, I believe Americans Baxter, Susan Rapp, and Kim Rhodenbaugh all had legitmate shots for medals at Moscow but its pure speculation as to who would have done better. These three along with Tracy were the some of the fastest times in the *** events in 1984 and there really was no clear favorite, so again its speculation has to who would win and if any of the 1984 Olympic swimmers from other countries were on drugs.
Mine isn't even a poll choice sorry :(
Mine has to be Mark Tewksbury. He has given me the best sports event I've ever seen in my (short) life, all sports included : The 100 backstroke gold medal in '92 Barcelona, one hair in front of Jeff Rouse.
(Plus we were there having a female finishing 8th at the 200 breaststroke final on top of that).
Euhh let me think.
Mark gave me the best sports event, but Shelley Tailor-Smith has to be my favorite swimmer. Every year we raced against her, in every event she won and was in top5 overall.
She won 7 Openwater World Championships, probably in a row (I'm not sure). I've seen her performing a 60x100m off 1:15 touching 1:10 in our pool one summer, that was amazing.
I agree with this quote here On this forum? How about George, who gets up early to answer any questions, has a history from way back and still swims. Cheers to George who does know the taste of waters all around the World, cold warm dirty or salty.
No I better not say that. Oups... did I say anything that you didn't like maty? Was certainly not on purpose.
Sorry and congratulations again for the career that you've had and the sound advices that you give.
Cheers !
No it was my reply to Tewksbury, not nice and rather rude so removed it. But he surely was a great swimmer and defender of Canadian swimming when the brothers were in charge of Swim Canada. I believe it was he alone who got those guys out of control.
Dawn Fraser would have won in 1968 for her 4th in a row, but the powers that be at the time did not allow her to swim. Her book is great reading, so much truth in it.
Dara Torres was certainly the most beautiful.
Tracy the most talented
Frank,
The Russians were on a steroid that only existed in the Russian army. It was finally detected I think in 1988, and they did NOT disqualify the Russian breaststroker!
My favorite swimmer was John Moffet. He coached masters and did a couple of videos. Easy to talk to, although he said I would never get what he was telling me to do. I actually did learn a huge amount from John.
The actual time that Mark Spitz did for the 200 Yard Fly was 1:46.89, which broke the American Record that was held by Gary Hall at 1:48.44 in 1971...I believe that the :47.98 time in the 100 Yard Fly from the same meet was just as impressive if not more so.
Your recall is impressive, far better than mine - especially considering that record of 1:46.89 is still the pool record at Army and I spent about 6 years looking at it nearly every day, while coaching the club team for two years and for four years as an assistant with the varsity.
I remember the 200 Fly so well simply because I walked on the pool deck for my first experience watching an NCAA championship and about a minute later got to watch that swim. I also recall that Ken ? from Michigan State (and Shore Aquatic Club in NJ) was 2nd in 1:51.
These swims were mindblowing to me because I had just completed my college career and my 200 Free was 10 seconds behind Spitz's 200 Fly.
Also saw Jim McConica in that meet and now get to race him at Masters Nats - actually I get to swim in the same event as him. Saying that I race him would be stretching it to the breaking point.
Terry:
Actually the guy that got second with a 1:51 was a teamate of Mark Spitz at Indiana named Bob Alsfelder who I remember because he swam AAU meets in Ohio and he was from the Cincinnatti area. He was 4th at the 1972 Olympic Trials losing the 3rd place spot to Gary Hall by .25 seconds. Spitz, Hall, and Backhaus went 1-2-3 in the 200 Fly at the 1972 Olympics. I have attached a link to the stories and what Bob Alsfelder is up to today.
www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/.../9274.aspwww.cincypost.com/.../furman011400.html
[QUOTE=breastroker;66124
Frank,
The Russians were on a steroid that only existed in the Russian army. It was finally detected I think in 1988, and they did NOT disqualify the Russian breaststroker!
Wayne:
I heard about rumors to this effect many years ago but its never been proven and I think its pointless to speculate. The swimmer in the Russian army that some accused of steriod use was Vladimir Salnikov, the first man to go under 15 minutes in the 1500 Free and was a member of the Russian Army while he was training. He along with Roland Matthes and Nikolai Pankin have been accused and all of them have never tested positive in a drug test while they were competition. These swimmers are some of the greatest swimmers that have ever lived and if they or anyone else have never been tested positive of a drug test, than all it is speculation.
Some people have accused every swimmer that has ever competed for an Eastern Bloc nation from 1992 on back. I not saying everyone was clean but by no means do we know for certain who was clean and who wasn't and I think its totally unfair to base judgements without proof. The only way to get rid of the speculation is for the IOC to have a trial and prove the use of drug taking and they have already said they are not going to do this.
