This new thread occurred to me while reading posts comparing Spitz to Phelps, as well as reflecting upon mortality considering heart attacks etc. In swimming we immortalize individuals or teams for various feats or contributions, but do little to preserve a feeling for subsequent generations of enthusiasts about what it was like to train and compete 'back in the day'. Just what day am I talking about? Exactly: there have been many 'days' or more properly 'eras' that can be narrowly characterized by differences in equipment, distances swum and trained, coaching methods or more widely by larger factors: world war, global depression, racial segregation, inequality of the sexes. All of these can contribute to very different experiences than what are common today to the younger swimmer; hence, 'what was it like'. I visualize a thread that continues to be added to as new people read it and remember their own experiences. As well, experience can vary with national origin, not just era. There have already been posts on this topic scattered in various threads, please feel free to copy or quote material from them to here.
Please remember that this is not about how fast a particular swimmer was, but about the conditions that defined competitive swimming of that day.
We also have a priceless resource out there: aging swimmers in their 80's or 90's who may be less likely to read or hear of this thread; why not ask them for some of their memories or impressions and pass them on to us, while we still can?
Parents
Former Member
Not an experience of mine, but just a note...it was someone's reality: Next door to my house there use to be a HUGE (probably close to 50m) cement hole in the ground that they filled with river water and use to have team practices in an so such, every so often according to my parents who heard from locals, they would drain a little water out and refill it up or let the rain do the work...there was no chemicals or cleaning of the "pool." The pool still is there, but it's filled with dirt and grass and trees now. Ironically, the town never went on to build another town pool, but we have the last relic from the pool--a metal sign that has a huge black arrow and states Swim Spot.
Not an experience of mine, but just a note...it was someone's reality: Next door to my house there use to be a HUGE (probably close to 50m) cement hole in the ground that they filled with river water and use to have team practices in an so such, every so often according to my parents who heard from locals, they would drain a little water out and refill it up or let the rain do the work...there was no chemicals or cleaning of the "pool." The pool still is there, but it's filled with dirt and grass and trees now. Ironically, the town never went on to build another town pool, but we have the last relic from the pool--a metal sign that has a huge black arrow and states Swim Spot.
