Okay, we have been reading Phelps, Phelps, Torres, Phelps... and discussing how/when these two can impact swimming going forward.
I was wondering how any of you were "impacted" by Mark Spitz when he made his run... did he change the sport, make a long term draw to the sport, etc.
For my own part, he probably made me think more about how I prepared for my events mentally.
How about you?
He got a lot of us thinking about goals past the next swim meet and to start thinking how far we could take our own swimming. It showed us that you did not have to have the perfect 6' 6" swimmer height if you had the desire and drive. He also got a bunch of us to grow mustaches.
It showed us that you did not have to have the perfect...
Indeed. As I recall, his fly was very up&down in the water as opposed to the flat fly of today. For swimmers like me that had technique issues (according to wisdom at the time, that is), Mark Spitz showed that heart sometimes meant more.
