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?
Talking of ropes………
In the 1950’s we swam 220 and 440 yards in 33 1/3 yard pools. The final ‘touch’ was a spindly rope strung mid-air across the pool somewhere along its length. The timers and judges peered across this rope to determine when a body part crossed this virtual wall to determine the winner and time.
We even had rope finishes in summer league in the late 80s. In fact, I think they just stopped within the past year or so when they remodeled the pool. It was a 33 1/3 meter pool. If you were swimming a 25, you swam to the red flags. If you were swimming a 50, you swam down and back to the yellow flags. In both cases, the timers would lean over and try to judge it. Relays were generally 4 lengths (133 1/3 meters).
In AAU/USS before computers were used much, we had little pink (blue for the boys) index cards with our times on them that they used for seeding us. They would line you up in this huge line by heat and we always tried to hide our pink cards from the people near us so they wouldn't see our time. :laugh2:
I also have some interesting memories of swimming in the old Starlit Aquatic Club in Fairfax, VA. It was one of the only long-course pools in the area at the time. The roof dripped horribly and there were rats in the locker room. :eek:
Talking of ropes………
In the 1950’s we swam 220 and 440 yards in 33 1/3 yard pools. The final ‘touch’ was a spindly rope strung mid-air across the pool somewhere along its length. The timers and judges peered across this rope to determine when a body part crossed this virtual wall to determine the winner and time.
We even had rope finishes in summer league in the late 80s. In fact, I think they just stopped within the past year or so when they remodeled the pool. It was a 33 1/3 meter pool. If you were swimming a 25, you swam to the red flags. If you were swimming a 50, you swam down and back to the yellow flags. In both cases, the timers would lean over and try to judge it. Relays were generally 4 lengths (133 1/3 meters).
In AAU/USS before computers were used much, we had little pink (blue for the boys) index cards with our times on them that they used for seeding us. They would line you up in this huge line by heat and we always tried to hide our pink cards from the people near us so they wouldn't see our time. :laugh2:
I also have some interesting memories of swimming in the old Starlit Aquatic Club in Fairfax, VA. It was one of the only long-course pools in the area at the time. The roof dripped horribly and there were rats in the locker room. :eek:
