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
Back in the early 60's (late teens-early 20's) Cairo, Egypt.
No goggles
50m not an official race (in any stroke)
Manual analog timekeeping
Somersault turns in the free were: approaching the wall, you turn on your back. One hand had to touch the wall. You did a back somersault ending on your stomach all tucked up and pushed off. I was a one side breather so I could this ONLY if I arrived at the wall with my right-arm (I breathe on the left). Arriving on the left arm meant an open turn.
Shaving:
Our Nationals usually took place at the end of Summer. One year (I can't remember the reason why), they were held at the start of Summer. So I shaved (like the rest of the team) and then off to Alexandria and the beaches for the Summer vacations. My girl-----friend (two separate words) who had seen me with various girlfriends (one word, separate times) and who should have known me better, asked me in an aside, "Ahmed, you can confide in me. Have you turned gay?"
Outside of the swimming community, nobody back then could conceive of a man shaving off body hair.
Back in the early 60's (late teens-early 20's) Cairo, Egypt.
No goggles
50m not an official race (in any stroke)
Manual analog timekeeping
Somersault turns in the free were: approaching the wall, you turn on your back. One hand had to touch the wall. You did a back somersault ending on your stomach all tucked up and pushed off. I was a one side breather so I could this ONLY if I arrived at the wall with my right-arm (I breathe on the left). Arriving on the left arm meant an open turn.
Shaving:
Our Nationals usually took place at the end of Summer. One year (I can't remember the reason why), they were held at the start of Summer. So I shaved (like the rest of the team) and then off to Alexandria and the beaches for the Summer vacations. My girl-----friend (two separate words) who had seen me with various girlfriends (one word, separate times) and who should have known me better, asked me in an aside, "Ahmed, you can confide in me. Have you turned gay?"
Outside of the swimming community, nobody back then could conceive of a man shaving off body hair.
