I think people will continue to go faster until we reach the point that it becomes physically impossible to do any more, when arms and legs literally tear themselves out of place in attemping to do so. (Humans are a resilient lot, if not sometimes motivated beyond what's good for them!)
I don't know who first coined the following, but I believe it:
"To know the limits of possibility requires, at times, that we accomplish the impossible." - Unknown
Thanks for your observations on this subject.
There is one area that is not on the poll that I think is a contributing factor to the contribution of World Records and that is the Advancement of Professional Swimming around the World.
Twelve years ago there were not swimmers like Phelps, Lochte, Hoff, Coughlin, etc, etc, that could stay in the sport and make a living as a professional. There were very few swimmers that gave up there NCAA eligibilty to turn professional. In the 1990's the first swimmer I remember doing this was Anita Nall and she did not have the success that was expected from this decision.
Today with more sponsorships, professional swimmers can stay in the sport and earn a living where they could not 20 years ago. You had trail blazers like Matt Biondi and Tom Jager that stayed in the sport, but that was about it and they did not have the opportunties that the swimmers today have. Also more Universities and Clubs are welcoming professional swimmers to train and belong with actual meets set up to monitor the progress. There was none of this back in the early 1990's.
Swimmers can stay in the sport longer and reach a potential that years ago they couldn't do because of the rules of professional vs amateur in the sport of swimming. In the future I see this area growing and I see the sport becoming better with faster times by swimmers and World Records being broken.
There is one area that is not on the poll that I think is a contributing factor to the contribution of World Records and that is the Advancement of Professional Swimming around the World...
Anyone know when Sullivan went pro, and how that impacted on his training?
2 reasons
1) it's an olympic year, let's call that the "Olympic Effect"
elite swimmers have a powerful motivating reason to passionately pursue their dreams of glory which helps them focus and train harder to do great at Trials and the Olympics
2) the new IMPROVED suits
There is one area that is not on the poll that I think is a contributing factor to the contribution of World Records and that is the Advancement of Professional Swimming around the World.
Twelve years ago there were not swimmers like Phelps, Lochte, Hoff, Coughlin, etc, etc, that could stay in the sport and make a living as a professional. There were very few swimmers that gave up there NCAA eligibilty to turn professional. In the 1990's the first swimmer I remember doing this was Anita Nall and she did not have the success that was expected from this decision.
Today with more sponsorships, professional swimmers can stay in the sport and earn a living where they could not 20 years ago. You had trail blazers like Matt Biondi and Tom Jager that stayed in the sport, but that was about it and they did not have the opportunties that the swimmers today have. Also more Universities and Clubs are welcoming professional swimmers to train and belong with actual meets set up to monitor the progress. There was none of this back in the early 1990's.
Swimmers can stay in the sport longer and reach a potential that years ago they couldn't do because of the rules of professional vs amateur in the sport of swimming. In the future I see this area growing and I see the sport becoming better with faster times by swimmers and World Records being broken.
I checked all of the above, but thats not to say that I don't think performance enhancers aren't in some way connected--I don't necessarily think that all of these major drops in times are reflective of drug usage, but maybe the addition and better understanding of different supplements in their diet and training regiment that have aided in their ability to train harder and further as well.
I checked All of the above plus PEDs for the sole reason that if you are taking supplements, or any other "Performance Enhancing Drugs" including :roids: you're putting something in your body that wasn't meant to be there in the first place. I never have understood the difference between "Legal" or "Illegal" performance drugs anyways. Does anyone here on earth actually know the long term ramifications of even stuff like Creatine? The answer to that is no! It hasn't been around long enough to be evaluated.....although the more we learn about it.....the more we are told to stay away from it......
Just my :2cents:
