Swimming World's top 12 master swimmers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Former Member
Let the debate begin. I have no problem with the 12 selected, but, 6 and 6 is pretty tough to pick and I have great respect for the process they use. I do think they should try to maybe add the top swim of the year,but, what they have to do, at present, is pretty overwhelming. Some of the runner-ups are pretty awesome. Pull up the Swimming World and download the magazine.What a great honor for all these great swimmers EOM
elise526:
In 1995, FINA made the requirement that for swims to count for FINA World Records, they must be set in masters sanctioned meets by a member nation of FINA. Prior to this, any swimmer that was registered with USMS could swim in a USA swim meet and turn in the times to count toward FINA World Records without ever swimming in a masters sanctioned meet. This was happening with Olympic caliber swimmers though maybe not on the level of Lezak and Coughlin but with national caliber swimmers.
FINA put a stop to this immediately and told member nation recorders and tabulators to strip anyone of a past record if they did not record the swim in a masters sanctioned competition. I think they went back a year and did that with those swims. So in a sense what your saying is happening at the FINA level. For the USMS level, as long as you are registered with the organization and you follow the rules to get your swims to count, then any swim from any USA sanctioned meet can count for a USMS Record and USMS Top Time and it does not have to be from a masters sanctioned meet.
Thanks, Frank. With the number of older swimmers able to compete on a world class level, it will be interesting to see if USMS does what FINA has done. I'm certainly glad that people my age are able to swim in USA meets, especially in areas where there are not many masters meets offered. It seems to violate the spirit of masters swimming, however, if somebody that doesn't even compete in a masters meet in a given year can come in and claim the top spot in their age-group.
elise526:
In 1995, FINA made the requirement that for swims to count for FINA World Records, they must be set in masters sanctioned meets by a member nation of FINA. Prior to this, any swimmer that was registered with USMS could swim in a USA swim meet and turn in the times to count toward FINA World Records without ever swimming in a masters sanctioned meet. This was happening with Olympic caliber swimmers though maybe not on the level of Lezak and Coughlin but with national caliber swimmers.
FINA put a stop to this immediately and told member nation recorders and tabulators to strip anyone of a past record if they did not record the swim in a masters sanctioned competition. I think they went back a year and did that with those swims. So in a sense what your saying is happening at the FINA level. For the USMS level, as long as you are registered with the organization and you follow the rules to get your swims to count, then any swim from any USA sanctioned meet can count for a USMS Record and USMS Top Time and it does not have to be from a masters sanctioned meet.
Thanks, Frank. With the number of older swimmers able to compete on a world class level, it will be interesting to see if USMS does what FINA has done. I'm certainly glad that people my age are able to swim in USA meets, especially in areas where there are not many masters meets offered. It seems to violate the spirit of masters swimming, however, if somebody that doesn't even compete in a masters meet in a given year can come in and claim the top spot in their age-group.
