Why are there so many Olympic medals for swimming?

Copying this from another forum I frequent. I've wondered this myself, maybe someone here has the answer. Original thread: www.flyertalk.com/.../showthread.php ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Why isn't "swimming" a single event like "gymnastics" is? I mean, you can get medals for the 100m butterfly, 400m relay, 200m backstroke (I don't know, I'm making those particular examples up); but the gymnasts don't get separate medals for hoops, uneven bars, floor exercise, etc.
  • ...but the gymnasts don't get separate medals for hoops, uneven bars, floor exercise, etc. Yes they do. Most of the top medal-winning people from the Summer Olympics are gymnasts.
  • There's alot of medals because that's the official number of events in international swim meets. They didn't even include some events that are included in other big meets, such as the 800 free, 50 fly, 50 back, 50 ***. I've noticed the non-swim press constantly bitches about this, but it's how it is, it's how the sport is. The Olympics is the Super Bowl of swimming, it's the most prestigious thing we got, let the swimmers have their 32 medals.
  • The Butterfly could be our "hurdles" race - maybe we can actually put in some poles about 2 inches above the water that people have to clear. Ouch! Oh wait…I guess you mean the poles would be horizontal?
  • Former Member
    Former Member
    I think we could get rid of the backstroke - there is no backwards running, is there ? The Butterfly could be our "hurdles" race - maybe we can actually put in some poles about 2 inches above the water that people have to clear. And the I never liked the Breaststroke - working so hard to go so slow.
  • Total: 13 races, but not feasible for a 100m runner to do well in the longest distances and vice versa. Most runners compete in no more than 2 or 3 distances because of the high degree of specialization. Just like you don't see any 50 freestylers going after the 1500. Specializing in 3 events is quite a few for most swimmers not named Phelps. Total: 18 races, a racer can be competitive in 10+ different distances because of the similarities in distance and technique. I think there's more similarity in running technique. Put one leg in front of the other, jump over stuff once in a while. Now, if they added a backwards run, bear walk, and maybe a crab walk to track events, then technique might be as variable as it is in swimming.
  • A person I work out with asked me the same question yesterday about the number of swimming races. He wasn't exactly complaining, but sounded a bit surprised. The person who posted the track events conveniently left out all the field events and the marathon. Think how many event that would make when you start adding long jump, triple jump, shot put, javelin, etc. And they can't argue that field is separate from track since they have athletes like Carl Lewis doing both sprints and long jump. Plus, they have the decathlon and heptathlon, which combine track and field. And, PLEASE don't say that we have to then combine swimming and diving, because they have nothing to do with one another and there are no athletes who do both. The Marathon is listed, unless the 42.2 km means something else. Like you said it, including all of the 'field' events with running would be akin to including diving, water polo, or synchronized swimming with swimming.
  • Like you said it, including all of the 'field' events with running would be akin to including diving, water polo, or synchronized swimming with swimming. I think Alain Bernard would probably make an awesome center in water polo! Skip
  • Former Member
    Former Member
    A person I work out with asked me the same question yesterday about the number of swimming races. He wasn't exactly complaining, but sounded a bit surprised. The person who posted the track events conveniently left out all the field events and the marathon. Think how many event that would make when you start adding long jump, triple jump, shot put, javelin, etc. And they can't argue that field is separate from track since they have athletes like Carl Lewis doing both sprints and long jump. Plus, they have the decathlon and heptathlon, which combine track and field. And, PLEASE don't say that we have to then combine swimming and diving, because they have nothing to do with one another and there are no athletes who do both.
  • tradition, because for both men and women there's the 50 fr 100 fr 200 fr 400 fr 800 / 1500 fr 100 fl 200 fl 100 bk 200 bk 100 br 200 br 200 im 400 im 4 x 100 fr relay 4 x 200 fr relay 4 x 100 medley relay
  • tradition, Not if you look here: en.wikipedia.org/.../1896_Olympics "There were three open events (men's 100 metre freestyle, men's 500 metre freestyle, and men's 1200 metre freestyle), in addition to a special event open only to Greek sailors, all of which were held on the same day (April 11)" Events are always added/removed from the Olympic games. I keep hearing rumblings from co-workers on why some swimming events aren't removed. Heck, how long did baseball last?
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