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
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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.
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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.
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.
