We now have just over a month before the open World Champs at Melbourne. What will we see there, more records? I believe that this is a 'statement' champs, not least of which the Aussies in the wake of the retirement of Ian Thorpe. Will the Chinese unveil some unknown superstars? Kitajima, according to the Swimming World website feels that he is returning to form, can he challenge Hansen (& how many little dolphin kicks he hide in his dive?).
What do you see on the horizon? Time to venture some predictions.
I say the we will see Park from Korea start to push Grant Hackett, with a view to getting in his head for 2008. Will Phelps shock and awe his opponents?
Let's hear from you...
everyone in the heat dropped .3. that doesn't happen
Warren:
When you say everyone in the heat dropped .3 is a little confusing. Alex Popov was the only person swimming from my understanding. Now if you read the link that I provided, you will see that others have dropped beyond .3 in time trials. In 1981, William Paulus did a time of :53.81 to break the World Record in the 100 meter Fly that was set by Par Arvidsson of :54.15 set in 1980 in a time trail after the meet was over. In that same meet he did a :54.34 to win the individual event but was .53 from the time trial World Record. When swimming alone, yes I agree that a time trial swim will be faster with all of things discussed on the thread I linked. In the 50, especially with the start that can make up for a lot of time. For instance at the 2000 Olympics, both Anthony Erving and Gary Hall JR. had .14 and .10 advantages in the Reaction Times from the blocks on Alex Popov and Hoggie and I believe this helped the pair to the Gold Medal stand.
In 2003, a year before the Olympics, Popov went :21.99 and :21.91 at the 2003 World Championships in Spain. There is nothing that could not convince me that he could not go .28 seconds faster with a good start and swimming in an empty pool. Empty pool meaning no swimmers and not empty water. That last statement was a quote from Gary Hall about Popov getting the World Record in an empty pool. I would have to agree with Fly Queen that I think his swim is legitimate and that the Russian Swimming Federation did not do any wrong doing and he should get credit and have the World Record until someone comes along and swims faster than :21.63 and that can be done as of now either in a Meet or a Time Trial.
In 1989, Tom Jager had the Word Record of :22.12 and set that at the Pan Pac meet in Tokyo, Japan. In the Nashville swims against only one other swimmer, one or two lanes apart, very much like a time trial setting, he went :21.81 in his final swim to reduce the World Record by .31 seconds, which is very similar to what Popov did in his reduction in time. The only difference is that Matt Biondi was a couple of lanes over in there final TV swim match and went :21.85 to also break the old World Record. This was the only time in swimming history up to this point that two people broke the :22.00 barrier. At the 1992 Olympics, Alex Popov was the first swimmer to break the :22.00 barrier in a competitive meet going :21.91 and it would be 8 years before any swimmer would do that again. Shortly after Popov set the World Record in June of 2000, both Gary Hall Jr. and Anthony Erving went :21.76 and :21.80 at the 2000 Olympic Trials to be the only swimmers at that point to go under the :22.00 barrier. In the 2000 Olympics in the tied Gold Medal swim both swimmers swam a :21.98 for the win, which was .22 and .18 from the previous swims. So its realistic to have a variance of .30 and not be suspect.
everyone in the heat dropped .3. that doesn't happen
Warren:
When you say everyone in the heat dropped .3 is a little confusing. Alex Popov was the only person swimming from my understanding. Now if you read the link that I provided, you will see that others have dropped beyond .3 in time trials. In 1981, William Paulus did a time of :53.81 to break the World Record in the 100 meter Fly that was set by Par Arvidsson of :54.15 set in 1980 in a time trail after the meet was over. In that same meet he did a :54.34 to win the individual event but was .53 from the time trial World Record. When swimming alone, yes I agree that a time trial swim will be faster with all of things discussed on the thread I linked. In the 50, especially with the start that can make up for a lot of time. For instance at the 2000 Olympics, both Anthony Erving and Gary Hall JR. had .14 and .10 advantages in the Reaction Times from the blocks on Alex Popov and Hoggie and I believe this helped the pair to the Gold Medal stand.
In 2003, a year before the Olympics, Popov went :21.99 and :21.91 at the 2003 World Championships in Spain. There is nothing that could not convince me that he could not go .28 seconds faster with a good start and swimming in an empty pool. Empty pool meaning no swimmers and not empty water. That last statement was a quote from Gary Hall about Popov getting the World Record in an empty pool. I would have to agree with Fly Queen that I think his swim is legitimate and that the Russian Swimming Federation did not do any wrong doing and he should get credit and have the World Record until someone comes along and swims faster than :21.63 and that can be done as of now either in a Meet or a Time Trial.
In 1989, Tom Jager had the Word Record of :22.12 and set that at the Pan Pac meet in Tokyo, Japan. In the Nashville swims against only one other swimmer, one or two lanes apart, very much like a time trial setting, he went :21.81 in his final swim to reduce the World Record by .31 seconds, which is very similar to what Popov did in his reduction in time. The only difference is that Matt Biondi was a couple of lanes over in there final TV swim match and went :21.85 to also break the old World Record. This was the only time in swimming history up to this point that two people broke the :22.00 barrier. At the 1992 Olympics, Alex Popov was the first swimmer to break the :22.00 barrier in a competitive meet going :21.91 and it would be 8 years before any swimmer would do that again. Shortly after Popov set the World Record in June of 2000, both Gary Hall Jr. and Anthony Erving went :21.76 and :21.80 at the 2000 Olympic Trials to be the only swimmers at that point to go under the :22.00 barrier. In the 2000 Olympics in the tied Gold Medal swim both swimmers swam a :21.98 for the win, which was .22 and .18 from the previous swims. So its realistic to have a variance of .30 and not be suspect.
