Mark Shubert from the NY Times article on Dara:
"But -let's face it- compared with the Olympics, even the Master's World Championships is a glorified losers' round, and holding a master's world record is hardly an exciting achievement. . . "
Du Didn't G. Hall start one down in Florida for that exact reason?
I'd be curious to know how many swimmers just fade out of the elite swimmers circle after their college career only to surface years later as a masters swimmer.
Isn't Hall's program only for swimmers with national rankings.
So since I didn't swim would that put my times ~ infinite?
If so I want in!!!!
Well, I want in anyway. Beer is good.
No Paul, I think it puts your time as NAN. You can't divide by zero!:thhbbb:
A world record is a world record. Nothing short of that.
Maybe what Schubert was implying is that a 20 something who competes on the world class level shouldn't hold too much merit in taking down a masters record.
Even though the masters age grouping starts at 19 to 24...this category is a different animal altogether (than those who compete during their middle age years and beyond).
Sure, good point. And the number that is impressive is "41," not 4 vs 5. Still, I continue to believe that SVDL's accomplishments in masters (based on her training) are at least as impressive as Torres'.
I was irritated by the "losers" comment, sure. But the parts of that paragraph that REALLY raised my eyebrows were David Hoffman's comments ("he'll be relieved when Torres emerges from her Olympic training tunnel" and "I can't wait until this is over.")
"Other areas of life," indeed.
Chris...not sure if your a "drinking man" but love to think someday we'll sit down, have to many beers....and you'll let your "hair down" and ditch all the math-stats/PC stuff and fire away with how you really feel!
During the broadcast of the trials it was mentioned several times how it is very difficult for swimmers to continue their training after they leave college. Not so much because of time, though I'm sure that plays a part as well, but mostly because there aren't really that many training programs throughout the country that address the post college swimmers needs-if they want to continue their pursuit of a spot on the olympic team. Didn't G. Hall start one down in Florida for that exact reason?
I'd be curious to know how many swimmers just fade out of the elite swimmers circle after their college career only to surface years later as a masters swimmer.
But I think she is only swimming a little faster than she did in her prime. If we are comparing her to herself, and not the thousands that will never be as fast as she was/is, then it's not that astounding just because she is 41. With improvements in training techniques, stroke techniques, nutrition, etc. since the 1980s, there are plenty of folks 40+ (like yourself, GoodSmith) that could go as fast as they did 'back in the day' if they could spare eight hours a day for training, stretching, getting massages, etc.
Not true.
If it was you would see far more than the handful of 40+ year old athletes in pro sports already doing it.
As JS points out...what we are seeing is unprecedented in our sport, and maybe all sports. An athlete taking two 7 year breaks comes back at 41 to set the AR.
a link on the u.s.m.s. main page says that 28 current and former masters swimmers qualify for the olympic trials based on their times. Masters swimming is not for losers.
I think the comments were the author's, and not shubert's, and were just part of the author's attempt to frame Torres as some sort of type A personality.
I found the quote very funny. Soy un perdedor, as Beck might say.
Now with the Beck reference. Thanks, I have that song now ingrained in my head.... "I'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me"
