2008 Santa Clara International Invitational May 15 - 18

This is an interesting discussion. In Sweden, Masters Swimming is considered a different sport than "regular" swimming. So to be able to compete in both Masters competitions and normal ones you have to have two different licenses, and I also swim for two different clubs. But.. if I sometimes do Masters swimming and sometimes "normal" swimming, am I then a Masters swimmer or a normal swimmer? For me it is simple: I am a Masters Swimmer at Masters meets and a regular swimmer at other meets. We can never set a Masters Record in any regular meet, because if so all "normal" swimmers could claim to also set MAster records in normal meets, even if they never participate in a MAsters Meet. Some years ago I swam the European Masters Championship. A few weeks earlier UK had the trial for the World Championship. Mark Foster missed the trial, so a bit disappoited he insted he choose to swim the Masters for once. Went 22.7 LCM in the 50 free. Guess if he won... I have done many better times in normal meets than in Masters Meets. Maybe due to competition, maybe due to pools. But they are and will not considered Master times and I try not to bother about that... for me it is a different thing. Ps. Kevin go ahead and make the same time at a Masters Meet and then there will be no discussion. I am sure you can and will soon. 57:00 is very good!! Good luck!

This is an interesting discussion. In Sweden, Masters Swimming is considered a different sport than "regular" swimming. So to be able to compete in both Masters competitions and normal ones you have to have two different licenses, and I also swim for two different clubs. But.. if I sometimes do Masters swimming and sometimes "normal" swimming, am I then a Masters swimmer or a normal swimmer? For me it is simple: I am a Masters Swimmer at Masters meets and a regular swimmer at other meets. We can never set a Masters Record in any regular meet, because if so all "normal" swimmers could claim to also set MAster records in normal meets, even if they never participate in a MAsters Meet. Some years ago I swam the European Masters Championship. A few weeks earlier UK had the trial for the World Championship. Mark Foster missed the trial, so a bit disappoited he insted he choose to swim the Masters for once. Went 22.7 LCM in the 50 free. Guess if he won... I have done many better times in normal meets than in Masters Meets. Maybe due to competition, maybe due to pools. But they are and will not considered Master times and I try not to bother about that... for me it is a different thing. Ps. Kevin go ahead and make the same time at a Masters Meet and then there will be no discussion. I am sure you can and will soon. 57:00 is very good!! Good luck!