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?
Nylon suits were out at least since the late 40s.the East Germans unveiled the lycra suit in 1974.Their suits were repotedly nearly transparent.We had wave dampening lane lines in college in the late 60s. I first saw swedish goggles in 1971.The first swimmer to shave down was an Aussie in 1956.(Jon Hendriks I believe.)In the late 70s they made a product I still miss.The gogglecap. The cap and goggles were one piece so there was no way your goggles could come off on the dive.In the 70s we also had "Timeoff Swim Spray" to make you slicker in the water(now illegal.)
Nylon suits were out at least since the late 40s.the East Germans unveiled the lycra suit in 1974.Their suits were repotedly nearly transparent.We had wave dampening lane lines in college in the late 60s. I first saw swedish goggles in 1971.The first swimmer to shave down was an Aussie in 1956.(Jon Hendriks I believe.)In the late 70s they made a product I still miss.The gogglecap. The cap and goggles were one piece so there was no way your goggles could come off on the dive.In the 70s we also had "Timeoff Swim Spray" to make you slicker in the water(now illegal.)
