This may have been covered before; I'm new here, so I apologize in advance.
I've been cycling rather than swimming for the past 10 years, and I recently got back in the pool as end-of-season cross training. Which of course got me curious about masters programs. I checked out the Masters Nationals psyche sheets and I was really surprised at the lack of depth of the competition.
So heres the question: why do so few swimmers choose to compete after college? In comparison to cycling, or running, it seems there are hardly any swimmers competing at a high level over the age of 22 or so. For example, the mens 30-34 100 m free nationals psyche sheet shows 10 people, ranging from :56 to 1:03! 10 people? Is that because most people don't pre-register? Or are there really only a handful of 30-34 men out there who can go under a minute in the 100m free??
Swimmers over 22 that are swimming and darn fast:
Phelps just turned 22, Peirsol, Crocker, Hansen then you have the +30s of Walker, Hall, and Lezak. Also fast and older our very own Ande.
Women in their 30s and up that swim/swam fast - Dara Torres over 40 and swimming fast as ever, Jenny Thompson was in her 30s in Athens, Rachel Komisarz is over 30 or is 30. Coughlin will be 25 and Beard turns 26 later this year.
A lot of the fast swimmers over 22 still swim USS. A lot of others are burned out. You simply cannot compare swimming with cycling. My brother rode pro so I have some insight into the cycling world. They generally start later, peak later, and it's easier. I don't mean physically easier, but it's harder to find a pool than it is a bike. Also almost everyone learns how to ride a bike as a kid.
Even better than the top 10 lists, look at current rankings for SCY - 100s of swimmers swim every event. It's unreal. The biggest/fastest age groups seem to be 40s. There kids are a bit older and they aren't so burned out, they have a bit more cash, or whatever.
Swimmers over 22 that are swimming and darn fast:
Phelps just turned 22, Peirsol, Crocker, Hansen then you have the +30s of Walker, Hall, and Lezak. Also fast and older our very own Ande.
Women in their 30s and up that swim/swam fast - Dara Torres over 40 and swimming fast as ever, Jenny Thompson was in her 30s in Athens, Rachel Komisarz is over 30 or is 30. Coughlin will be 25 and Beard turns 26 later this year.
A lot of the fast swimmers over 22 still swim USS. A lot of others are burned out. You simply cannot compare swimming with cycling. My brother rode pro so I have some insight into the cycling world. They generally start later, peak later, and it's easier. I don't mean physically easier, but it's harder to find a pool than it is a bike. Also almost everyone learns how to ride a bike as a kid.
Even better than the top 10 lists, look at current rankings for SCY - 100s of swimmers swim every event. It's unreal. The biggest/fastest age groups seem to be 40s. There kids are a bit older and they aren't so burned out, they have a bit more cash, or whatever.
