I took my daughter to a collegiate conference meet yesterday. I saw some things that I didn't quite understand, and my 6 year old asked me some questions I couldn't answer. I can guess at some of this, but would appreciate it if you would weigh in. Would you please help us out?
(1) I saw an incredible swimmer in the men's 100 free. His stroke count was so much lower than the other swimmers that he almost looked like he was swimming in slow motion and his kicking wasn't as frenetic as the others, yet he easily won by a body length. Was there something special to his technique? Does it have a name? He was poetry in motion.
(2) About shaving: I stayed off the recent shaving thread as it seemed to be a guys' discussion, but I am curious - does shaving off body hair (and in the case of some of these college swimmers, head hair) appreciatively cut down drag and increase speed or is it more of a psychological "feel for the water" type feeling? Or something in between or something else altogether?
(3) About suit choice: All suit types were represented: for women, tanks and fastskins: for men, tiny speedos, jammers and bottom half fastskins. If not at the elite (and I mean really elite) level, does suit choice really make a difference or is it again psychological? At this meet anyway, the majority of fastest times were swam by women in tanks and men in the tiny speedos.
(4) At the end of the morning prelims, we saw a time trial for two female swimmers in the 100 free. Was this because they had a dead tie in the prelims?
(5) In one of the races, it might have been a men's 200 ***, there were 3 heats. The first had 8 swimmers, the third had 8 swimmers, but the middle heat only had 3...any ideas?
Thanks much. It was great to be able to tell my daughter that I didn't know, but I knew who I could ask.
Barb
Parents
Former Member
For the wonderful ladies a little nervy of swiming slow.
I saw a man of 89, and another of 72 swim 200 back recently. Nobody stood watching and giggling. They watched and rooted them on in their final 25...and gave a round of applause.
Now I doubt either of you are that slow to merrit such a virtuoso performance, but if you are...sowhat. How many of your peers are around you growing unhealthy and fragile through lack of excercise.
Nobody was more worried about appearing like a fool than me at my first meet. I was really happily at how much encouragement I got. In the hottub at the end, a couple of women were really happy for me when they asked about how my meet was and such, and I told them it was my first in some time.
Just pull on your speedo and get to it ladies...
Rich
For the wonderful ladies a little nervy of swiming slow.
I saw a man of 89, and another of 72 swim 200 back recently. Nobody stood watching and giggling. They watched and rooted them on in their final 25...and gave a round of applause.
Now I doubt either of you are that slow to merrit such a virtuoso performance, but if you are...sowhat. How many of your peers are around you growing unhealthy and fragile through lack of excercise.
Nobody was more worried about appearing like a fool than me at my first meet. I was really happily at how much encouragement I got. In the hottub at the end, a couple of women were really happy for me when they asked about how my meet was and such, and I told them it was my first in some time.
Just pull on your speedo and get to it ladies...
Rich
