2008 USMS Long Course National Championships

My 200 fly was this morning... another guy in my heat DNF so I hope everyone was looking at him when the piano fell on me at 175 meters. I haven't done a piano swim since I was 18. My arms were barely getting out of the water at the finish. The 200 fly is a brutal event, especially LCM. I had to opt out this meet because it was right before the 100 back, but usually I swim it. It is the only event I do where there are times when I seriously doubt my ability to finish the race! Paul Carter is obviously an amazing swimmer but, even though he set a national record, this race had to hurt! Event 36 Men 50-54 200 LC Meter Butterfly ================================================================== World: W 2:15.29 1/19/2008 HUGO BREGMAN, NED NATL: N 2:21.40 7/25/2004 SCOTT LAUTMAN Name Age Team Seed Finals ================================================================== 1 Carter, Paul V 51 CAST 2:15.00 2:18.57N 29.25 1:03.10 (33.85) 1:39.34 (36.24) 2:18.57 (39.23) I spoke to Mark Gill just after, and he mourned the fact that he was not announcing that race when it occurred. I sure hope I don't have a piano race when Mark has the microphone. Everyone at nationals this year was treated to 83-year-old Doug Strong swimming the 200 fly. He took something like 20 minutes to complete the race...and was promptly DQ'd (underwater recovery). Man that's rough; couldn't they have stopped him after one lap if they were going to DQ him?

My 200 fly was this morning... another guy in my heat DNF so I hope everyone was looking at him when the piano fell on me at 175 meters. I haven't done a piano swim since I was 18. My arms were barely getting out of the water at the finish. The 200 fly is a brutal event, especially LCM. I had to opt out this meet because it was right before the 100 back, but usually I swim it. It is the only event I do where there are times when I seriously doubt my ability to finish the race! Paul Carter is obviously an amazing swimmer but, even though he set a national record, this race had to hurt! Event 36 Men 50-54 200 LC Meter Butterfly ================================================================== World: W 2:15.29 1/19/2008 HUGO BREGMAN, NED NATL: N 2:21.40 7/25/2004 SCOTT LAUTMAN Name Age Team Seed Finals ================================================================== 1 Carter, Paul V 51 CAST 2:15.00 2:18.57N 29.25 1:03.10 (33.85) 1:39.34 (36.24) 2:18.57 (39.23) I spoke to Mark Gill just after, and he mourned the fact that he was not announcing that race when it occurred. I sure hope I don't have a piano race when Mark has the microphone. Everyone at nationals this year was treated to 83-year-old Doug Strong swimming the 200 fly. He took something like 20 minutes to complete the race...and was promptly DQ'd (underwater recovery). Man that's rough; couldn't they have stopped him after one lap if they were going to DQ him?