Lefty - you obviously know nothing about sports and continue to demonstrate that on this forum. With maybe an exception here or there the greatest athletes also have the greatest work and training ethic. Walker's workouts were ridiculous, Bird and Jordan as well. Ever read about Tiger's workouts? Maybe you've heard of this swimmer named Michael Phelps and his legendary training.
I can only think of one ultra superstar who was known to not train hard - Lawrence Taylor.
I've frequently read that John Daly has the most talent of any golfer out there.
NCAA meets must not be in that list ...
I think NCAA times ARE included. I bet the vast majority of SCY "best times" are NCAA times. For example - Cesar Cielo's times are all over the 50 and 100 lists.
See for yourself:
Mens: usaswimming.org/.../May 15 SCY Men.pdf
Womens: usaswimming.org/.../May 15 SCY Women.pdf
No relay times on those lists.....
To do anything, even sex with an endless alternating harem of Islamic virgins, for 365 days a year, five years in a row, might get just a wee bit old.
Please don't destroy our illusions.................
Paul, Gary Hall Jr. has talked alot about this. In 1996, when he was a skinny 21 year old who was getting kicked out of practice and drifting from coach to coach, he goes a 48.8 and 22.2 in the 50. 4 years later he matures both physcially and mentally, focuses on the right kind of traning and goes a 48.7 and 21.7. The drop in the 50 is pretty good, the 100 almost nothing. And I have a hard time chalking it up to anything but physical maturation.
Of course Dara said that she did exactly what you proposed just to a higher degree than any swimmer in history. And it certainly worked for her.
Gary's age group coach crushed him withheavy yardage (and everyone alelse)...not much into quality/sprint work at all...and when Gary was that skinny guy as a freshman at Texas he goes 1:33 in a 200...so again as Chris says a LOT of talent..a lot of hard work and at various points in his career. Bottom's focus at TRC is far more race based and very much built around the 50/100.
Ahmed, I think you meant "don't destroy our delusions..."
Actually, in my younger years, I came up with what at the time seemed like a nightmarish test:
which would you rather do if these were your only two options:
spend the rest of your life in the most luxurious motel room imaginable, with great food, all the technology you wanted, some exercise equipment, and an endless assortment of damsels in whatever quantity you wanted delivered any time you wanted, but...you could never leave the motel room
or
spend the rest of your life able to travel anywhere on earth for free, try out any adventure, explore anywhere, but you could never again have sex...
which would you do?
I have to say, the answer has shifted for me over the years. but now, as i slouch ever deeper into dottage, it may show signs of shifting back again...
Talk about delusional illusions!
Gary's age group coach crushed him withheavy yardage (and everyone alelse)...not much into quality/sprint work at all...and when Gary was that skinny guy as a freshman at Texas he goes 1:33 in a 200...so again as Chris says a LOT of talent..a lot of hard work and at various points in his career. Bottom's focus at TRC is far more race based and very much built around the 50/100.
No evidence of a 1:33 200 SCY swim for GH Jr. unless his time was not in an official meet. The USA Swimming top 50 times in SCY goes from Simon Burnett's 1:31.20 to Ian Crocker's 1:34.49.
Interestingly enough - GH Jr.'s name is nowhere to be found in the top 50 all time SCY times. His dad's name however is in many places.
Not intended to take away from GH Jr's accomplishments but I am a doubter that he swam a 1:33 200 free.
Lets look at Phelps for just a second. We know for certain that no other 15 year old has ever made the Olympics. And I think we can reasonably agree that - at that age - it was talent that got him there. 15 year olds don't have the muscle development such that "hard work" can distinquish one from another. So the most talented 15 year old swimmer in history low and behold becomes the best swimmer in history and you think it is because he out worked everyone? I am sure that he has worked hard, , but to say that he outworked everyone...well...
Jerry Rice might be the one I would give you. From all accounts he was slow for an NFL wideout and not outstadingly strong. His routes were perfect and his conditioning unmatched.
Herschel Walker? You mean the All-American track star who almost made the Olympics in the bob-slead? Yeah, there was very little natural talent there.
Ryan Leaf had the talent to be a good NFL QB and blew it (though not because of a lack of effort). Phelps has unmatched talent and uses it.
At 15 Peirsol broke 2 minutes in the 200 back - first (and I think only) 15 year old to do so. That was 1998 so there was no Olympics. Two years later he made the team at 17.
Jillen Sirokey made the US Olympic team in breaststroke at 15 - she never again came close to her trials times.
Katie Hoff made her first Olympic team at 15. The list goes on and on.
There are far more teen phenoms out there that have one or two big meets then fall off the radar ...
Gymnats are almost always teen phenoms very few if any have success in their 20s.
Dara Torres said she thought Phelps was a flash in the pan in 2000.
I can also all but guarantee that going into 2000 Phelps was working insanely hard - probably harder than some of his Sydney teammates and harder than some of the other 200 flyers.
To accomplish what he has you have to have boat loads of talent, gentic gifts and work harder than anyone else.
