FINA...in their grand wisdom, has decided NOT to make Libby Lenton's 52.99 as a world record. This has been reported the the Herald Sun out of Australia.
Once again, FINA shows that it is run by politicans, not swimmers or swimming fans.
So, Thank You FINA for once again screwing things up.
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Former Member
Lefty:
Peter Williams time was not counted because South Africa was an apartheid nation and thus the record was not recognized. If this were true then why would they have counted Jony Skinner 100 Meter Free World Record of :49.44 set back in August of 1976 at the Nationals in Philadelphia and he was from the country of South Africa.
The reason Peter Williams record was under review was because of 2 things. The Pool was not quite 50 meters and it was done in a time trial with no one else swimming, ideal for racing conditions. Tom Jager and others protested this record swim. FINA was suppose to review and make a decision but Tom Jager already broke the record and got it back before they rendered a decision. So it was a moot point by then. However that is where the pool measurement guidelines that FINA follows comes from today. Also more stringent rules were drawn up on how to conduct time trial swims for World Records. FINA still allows time trial World Records.
In response to the qustion about Skinner: Because in 1976 sports had not been fully politicized. The full politization occurred when the US boycotted the 1980 Olympics. I have heard the same questions you raised about Williams' time. But I have also heard that the protest was quite bogus, and that the conditions of the race had been sensationalized in an effort to thwart the record swim. I second what everyone else has said, Skip, I love reading your comments. Can you offer any further insite into this?
Lefty:
Peter Williams time was not counted because South Africa was an apartheid nation and thus the record was not recognized. If this were true then why would they have counted Jony Skinner 100 Meter Free World Record of :49.44 set back in August of 1976 at the Nationals in Philadelphia and he was from the country of South Africa.
The reason Peter Williams record was under review was because of 2 things. The Pool was not quite 50 meters and it was done in a time trial with no one else swimming, ideal for racing conditions. Tom Jager and others protested this record swim. FINA was suppose to review and make a decision but Tom Jager already broke the record and got it back before they rendered a decision. So it was a moot point by then. However that is where the pool measurement guidelines that FINA follows comes from today. Also more stringent rules were drawn up on how to conduct time trial swims for World Records. FINA still allows time trial World Records.
In response to the qustion about Skinner: Because in 1976 sports had not been fully politicized. The full politization occurred when the US boycotted the 1980 Olympics. I have heard the same questions you raised about Williams' time. But I have also heard that the protest was quite bogus, and that the conditions of the race had been sensationalized in an effort to thwart the record swim. I second what everyone else has said, Skip, I love reading your comments. Can you offer any further insite into this?
