Preparing for the 100 IM at Masters Nationals in May has lead me to think about the exchange between Backstroke and Breastroke. How can USA Swimming (and Masters) further bend over to pressure in the sport for additional speed and record breaking.
I propose that one be allowed to flip from back to *** on an IM by rolling over on to your stomach (like a normal backstroke turn or freestyle turn) and push off on your stomach for your pullout without touching the wall (with your hand).
This could cut as much as a half second off the race. I mean whats the point in touching the wall anymore? We don't do it on backstroke.
Besides, aren't rules made to be broken if its in favor of making the sport faster and breaking records..... :-)
John Smith
Rob,
Technically, I would be on my back when my feet hit the wall on a freestyle like turn. I could rotate from my back to my stomach for the *** stroke pull out on the push off.
Technically yes, but prior to touching (completing the backstroke portion of the IM) your shoulders would no longer be rotated towards your back and would be DQed.
Paul
We talking backstroke here? If not I disagree and have video of myself showing otherwise!
I just look a look at about 10 starts from men's non-backstroke events in the 2004 Olympics and about 3M (10 feet) is where the entry point is. The solid lane line markers denote the 5M mark and everyone is entering well short of it. And those would be presumably the best in the world. I would think that getting that another meter out would be possible if a sacrifice of entry speed is made but that still leaves it short of the 5meter mark.
Please post this video on Youtube so we all can see it.
Paul
USMS could eliminate drug testing on record breakers to
catch swimmers who are taking
HGH, steriods and other performance enhancing cocktails
never, they don't test them now
Ande,
You are a bit too late on the fly flip turn proposal. I had a teammate in HS (Westfield HS in NJ), Harvey Gerber, who was the state champion at 100 yards fly in '64 and '66 as well the Eastern champion in '64, '65 and '66 going a 53.8. He went on to swim for Yale with Schollander and John Nelson etc. He was DQ'd as a junior in HS at the state meet held at Princeton not because he did a flip turn, but because the judges claimed he didn't touch the wall simultaneously on one turn.
Preparing for the 100 IM at Masters Nationals in May has lead me to think about the exchange between Backstroke and Breastroke. How can USA Swimming (and Masters) further bend over to pressure in the sport for additional speed and record breaking.
I propose that one be allowed to flip from back to *** on an IM by rolling over on to your stomach (like a normal backstroke turn or freestyle turn) and push off on your stomach for your pullout without touching the wall (with your hand).
This could cut as much as a half second off the race. I mean whats the point in touching the wall anymore? We don't do it on backstroke.
Besides, aren't rules made to be broken if its in favor of making the sport faster and breaking records..... :-)
John Smith
John,
Is it bending to pressure to lower times or is trying to simplify the ruling process? As someone who has been a swim official for some time both under the 'old school' methods and the new. It is much easier to isolate violations in stroke, especially in Breaststroke, under the new requirements than under the requirements from 20+ years ago. Less things to keep track of, means that officials can focus better. No more, did the water go COMPLETELY over the head, or did it break over just on the sides? Were the swimmer's hands COMPLETELY level at the touch or not? Personally, I think those pressures have a lot more impact than 'let's get lower times'
Things change, technology changes, understanding of how the body moves thru water changes.
Paul
Somthing I do not get: If you can go 15M off the start underwater in the 100 fly, then you should not be allowed to go 15M off each turn. The first 5M off the start are out of the water, so shouldn't it be 10M off each turn?
First 5M? Even the strongest starters are getting no more than 2-3 meters out on the start. Probably a lot closer to 2 than 3.
Paul
John,
Sounds like in order to legally do this, they would have to start allowing flip turns in Breaststroke too........I'm in.....anything to make it closer to me going that magical 1:00 barrier in the 100:drown:
tjburk,
Remember, technically, entering the turn is still considered the backstroke leg and should be governed by backstroke rules which do allow you to enter on your stomach now. Breastroke rules should not apply to entering the turn.
Then again, are there really any rules that shouldn't be changed if you can dolphin kick on a pullout?
John Smith
Ande,
You can't have an event that is solely underwater dolphin kick. If you did, you'd have to eventually allow swimming on top of the water in the middle of this event as a means for future cheaters and then end up changing the rules in this event to accomodate them as well.
Really Ande..... let's keep our cheating confined to the current solid concrete rules that govern fair play and record setting.
John Smith
