The FINA rules say no but not considering the rulebook, should Libby Lenton's 52.99 go in the record books. There has been alot of debate on this in the other thread. What do you think?
Former Member
If a swimmer swam a time trial 100 and a swimmer in the next lane swam a 70 as fast as possible to provide a draft and then slowed down but finished and the first swimmer broke the WR,wouldn't FINA count it?
What self respecting swimmer would want a record like that? I am sure there would be some controversy but it could very well be a legitimate WR.
It sounds like you did not really win the race then.
I actually won thats when the guys with stop watches timed the races you may be too young to remember, I have seen times vary by up to .5 of a second. The finish juges picked me first. They were actually right as there were a couple of photos that showed me as the winner.
Lenoard not arguing with you--just expanding on a point that you've mentioned here (not neccessrily these being your beliefs) that there is something wrong with men pacing women in mixed events. The women still have to run it. I think pacing devices (other people or counters) are not an issue, provided the technology is distributed equally and not prohibitively expensive.
In swimming I see it as not different to a fast skin, or the like. Why do sports allow "sciencing out" of chance and luck in some aspects but not others. Just my tuppence worth.
True. The women do run the event. However, I think that it is a "shades of gray" type thing. For example, suppose that (in track) we have a race with 1 studly woman and 6 guys. The guys are all there to pace her. In that case, 5 of the guys can surround her, cut the wind, etc. The 6th guy is the pacer who runs in the second lane and makes sure the time is dead on for the record. Each of the guys gets $5,000 for his work from the woman's shoe sponsor. This puts a record attempt out of reach of most people.
Another track example: A mixed race where a woman has several hired male pacers to go for some record. The other women have to not only race her, but race the men as well. Furthermore, if a record is on the line and the guys have $$ incentive to make it happen, things might get a bit rough in the pack.
I also watched the video that George linked to and notice that the commentator(s) said something about Lenton being close to the line to "get in Phelp's wash" (I forget the exact quote), so, assuming that the commentators knew what they were talking about, she may have seen some advantage.
One more thought before I have to get back to work. In a situation like this, it allows the athlete to go for absolute broke. Lenton KNEW that Phelps was going to beat her, so she could go all out without fear of the consequences. In an-all women race, taking a huge risk can have the actually have the consequence of getting beaten when, under normal circumstances, it shouldn't happen.
Don't get me wrong. Her swim was amazing and she gets to be my current STDPS for now.
-LBJ
If a swimmer swam a time trial 100 and a swimmer in the next lane swam a 70 as fast as possible to provide a draft and then slowed down but finished and the first swimmer broke the WR,wouldn't FINA count it?
Correct me if I am wrong, but don't they do this in track and field all the time? Have someone go out fast to establish a pace, then at a predetermined time, actually drop out of the race?
If they can do it there, what is wrong with a similar thing happening in swimming?
I voted no to the record. In the rule books it spells out what is sanctioned and not. I would think that the officials should have known before the swim even began that the swim was not sanctioned. If at summer club, someone swims fast enough to break a USA record, they know they would not get that record because summer club is not sanctioned.
That was my reasoning. That the event was not sanctioned for records not the drafting.
However, there were some interesting points about track and not running men and women together because of pacing and all that blah, blah, blah.
I voted early, but I still would say know, because the event was not an event that was sanctioned for a world record.
That said, I hope she can swim even faster in a sanctioned event and prove to everyone she can do it without Phelps beside her!
I don't think I'd want to hold an official record if it were so controversial. Especially as a woman accused (rightly or not) of drafting off of Phelps. I'm cheering for her to do it again in a race without the complicating factors. I think she's already demonstrated a boatload of class.
