About Allen's fear of racing in an outside lane: the 2008 USMS Rule Book states (102.10.1C) that
"It is recommended that when swimmers are seeded by time and not by age groups, the fastest two swimmers in each age group should not be seeded into outside lanes. It is recommended that they be moved inward one lane or given the center lanes in the next slowest heat, whichever is the more appropriate placement."
This is only a recommendation, but I don't see why it should be difficult to implement. It is a little less efficient, time-wise, then straight-up seeding by time...but still more efficient than the current method at nationals.
I seem to recall -- and Jeff Roddin reminded me of it recently -- that meet directors at LCM Nationals have the option of time-based seeding for 200s (as well as 400s and up) if they think it will help avoid ending the meet at an unreasonable time. At least, I THINK it is only at LCM nationals; I can't seem to find it in the Rule Book.
The seeding at LCM Nats in Portland last summer seemed to strike the right balance between age group and time-based seeding. Perhaps it was just my mix of mostly middle distance events and good-but-not-great seed times; a sprinter or elite swimmer might feel differently than I do, but I thought Portland got it right.
About Allen's fear of racing in an outside lane: the 2008 USMS Rule Book states (102.10.1C) that
"It is recommended that when swimmers are seeded by time and not by age groups, the fastest two swimmers in each age group should not be seeded into outside lanes. It is recommended that they be moved inward one lane or given the center lanes in the next slowest heat, whichever is the more appropriate placement."
This is only a recommendation, but I don't see why it should be difficult to implement. It is a little less efficient, time-wise, then straight-up seeding by time...but still more efficient than the current method at nationals.
I seem to recall -- and Jeff Roddin reminded me of it recently -- that meet directors at LCM Nationals have the option of time-based seeding for 200s (as well as 400s and up) if they think it will help avoid ending the meet at an unreasonable time. At least, I THINK it is only at LCM nationals; I can't seem to find it in the Rule Book.
The seeding at LCM Nats in Portland last summer seemed to strike the right balance between age group and time-based seeding. Perhaps it was just my mix of mostly middle distance events and good-but-not-great seed times; a sprinter or elite swimmer might feel differently than I do, but I thought Portland got it right.
