Yes - one more time it's about the suit:
Here is a comparison to 2004 and what it took to make top 16 (top 8 for the 400) over the first 7 events:
2004 listed first then 2008 then the approx. % drop
400 IM - 4:24.8 to 4:21.0 1.5%
100 Fly - 1:01.29 to 59.97 2%
400 Free - 3:55.0 to 3:51.4 1.6%
400 IM - 4:49.57 to 4:43.2 2.3%
100 Br - 1:04.0 to 1:02.36 2.5%
100 Bk - 1:04.12 to 1:02.31 2.6%
200 Free - 1:51.1 to 1:48.76 2.2%
Ok - to be fair, people are getting faster, but I would guess at least a 1.5% drop across the board for the suit -- that is net time !
Parents
Former Member
Here is a comparison of what it took in the last 6 US Olympic Trials to make the top 8 in the 100 and 200 Free (Men): why pick those ? Because I was a 200 Free swimmer and I know the difference between a 1:49.9 and a 1:47. Also, Freestyle has had no change in rules and things have pretty much stayed the same except for some underwater kicking off the wall (which has not been revolutionized in the last 4 years).
1984 50.83 and 1:51.26
1988 50.5 and 1:50.7 (those are approx)
1992 50.53 and 1:50.60
1996 50.31 and 1:50.80
2000 49.96 and 1:50.23
2004 49.7 and 1:49.83
2008 not sure yet, but it will be under 49 AND 1:46.94
So in 20 years the time for the 200 drops 1.4 seconds and then in 4 years it drops more than twice as much ? We must have had a miracle in nutrition and training methods. Maybe it's the water or they are just more motivated ?
I don't know the exact difference of the suits - but it is BIG.
I don't know why some people only wear the legskins - maybe it's the problems in terms of water coming in for some swimmers - but I think we won't see many legskins in Beijing.
Here is a comparison of what it took in the last 6 US Olympic Trials to make the top 8 in the 100 and 200 Free (Men): why pick those ? Because I was a 200 Free swimmer and I know the difference between a 1:49.9 and a 1:47. Also, Freestyle has had no change in rules and things have pretty much stayed the same except for some underwater kicking off the wall (which has not been revolutionized in the last 4 years).
1984 50.83 and 1:51.26
1988 50.5 and 1:50.7 (those are approx)
1992 50.53 and 1:50.60
1996 50.31 and 1:50.80
2000 49.96 and 1:50.23
2004 49.7 and 1:49.83
2008 not sure yet, but it will be under 49 AND 1:46.94
So in 20 years the time for the 200 drops 1.4 seconds and then in 4 years it drops more than twice as much ? We must have had a miracle in nutrition and training methods. Maybe it's the water or they are just more motivated ?
I don't know the exact difference of the suits - but it is BIG.
I don't know why some people only wear the legskins - maybe it's the problems in terms of water coming in for some swimmers - but I think we won't see many legskins in Beijing.
