SW 10.15 No pace-making shall be permitted, nor may any device be used or plan adopted which has that effect.
The topic of having someone give you feedback on your pacing during a race came up in the 1500 Test Set thread. My impression is that pace-making is very common and the rule against it largely unenforceable, but that the rule is there and quite clear. Swimmers may not use devices which help them pace their race and they may not adopt a plan that allows someone on deck or in another lane to help them pace their race.
In the other thread an interpretation was posted, my interpretation of the interpretation was that it dealt specifically with using devices, but that it didn't say pace-making was ok if it didn't involve a device (watch or radio).
Outside of using a device, has anyone ever been DQed for pace-making? If having someone else give you pacing feedback is ok, what is wrong with using a device? Should the whole rule be thrown out?
I am not in any way intending to criticize anyone who has had pacing help, I would love it if it turned out that this was legal, I mean who really wants to swim 60 lengths at what one thought was goal pace only to find out that one has swum a stinky time?
Former Member
Fort:
Never call it cheating; it is "making a mistake."
I think the watch rule is utterly stupid. Who cares if someone is wearing a watch? Although I will say that I have seen people train with them who are very efficient at peeking at their splits. Not much lost time. And I've heard a lot of piercing whistles at USS meets. In fact, our head coach routinely uses one.
A watch would have to have a very large face for me to see it. Then what about the extra drag. Especially as fast as I swim. (This should be on Donna's liar thread) :rofl:
But I agree with The Fortress. At zones last spring there was this HUGE digital pace clock right at mid-pool. It was great for my 500. I knew what my pace was throughout the entire race. Ended up setting a PB by about 8 sec. Maybe this should be on that other thread.....the "feel good" "pat yourself on the back" one.
Swimming the 1500 with a pre-agreed pace is difficult even if you have done the practice. I have had coaches standing on thier head to inform me that I wasn't meeting the goal. I stopped looking, they stopped jumping. I knew that I wasn't meeting our goals without the poolside dancing.
It is the internal clock that shall guide you.
A watch would have to have a very large face for me to see it. Then what about the extra drag. Especially as fast as I swim. (This should be on Donna's liar thread) :rofl:
But I agree with The Fortress. At zones last spring there was this HUGE digital pace clock right at mid-pool. It was great for my 500. I knew what my pace was throughout the entire race. Ended up setting a PB by about 8 sec. Maybe this should be on that other thread.....the "feel good" "pat yourself on the back" one.
:rofl::rofl::rofl: Can you come train with me?
donna
I think as a rule that prohibits devices.....good.
prohibit signals....bad.
So what if your coach is telling you to swim faster, you still have to muster up the effort.
It is rare to see any distance event where the coach isn't waving frantically for someone to pick it up.
Dave,
Something else here about devices. If you are wearing them such as a watch, they do create a small amt of drag; you can tell by the bubbles coming from the watch. We all know bubbles are bad and most of us would prefer not to have them either from our stroke or watches we may wear.
I always watch my hands. but I am not sure what the difference is between a person yelling at us and our times vs a harmless watch chiming away. Both are distractions for me.
donna
I think there are wrist mounted GPS devices that might help one swim a straighter line. But in long distance OW races there are often guide boats/kayaks for that purpose anyway.
Donna, I agree that if one is dead set on drag reduction (both in costume and technique) then it stands to reason that the watch must go. Having said that, I have swum some OW races that complete several laps around a course, it is useful to know splits. It would be even more useful to have an "eye in the sky" with video to goggle link! ahhhh...dare to dream!
Thank you Kevin! The USMS rules very clearly allow the counter to signal pacing information.
Although I was using a watch to do it, I have beat my meet PB a few times in open swims just by setting my watch to beep on my goal intervals. If I can get the same effect from my counter I should be able to do better in a meet. I do wonder why pace information from a watch or radio link is not allowed but pace information from a counter is ok?
I will have to check into the Canadian rules to see if the same applies, we seem to follow the FINA rules more closely, and I still read the FINA rule as being pretty unambiguous that pace-making, with a device or otherwise is not allowed. But then I have never heard of anyone being DQed here either.
It will be nice to do this with a clear conscience! Thanks again! :applaud:
While there are a few stupid rules in swimming(like whose idea was it to put backstroke in the IM:rofl: :dedhorse: ) the no watch rule is the dumbest.People were DQd at Worlds for watches.Sheesh!!
