Open the Masters Records?

Unfortunately it does make some of the records a little arbitrary knowing that there are dozens of swimmers out there who could beat them if they decided they had nothing better to do one weekend than swim a local masters meet. I know a few of my former competitors could wipe the floor with me if they were roused out of hibernation. So, in essence, I know there's someone out there who could swim faster, but they aren't swimming, so I don't dwell on it. Oh, and to bring up a little more history... Mark Warnecke won the 2005 worlds (the real world championships) in the 50 *** as a 35-year-old. His time was 27.63. If that were to be ratified as a Masters world record for the 35-39 age group, I would be a little peeved, because that's simply an unattainabe standard for a non-professional swimmer. But I would take comfort in knowing the 28.53 I swam last week was a national record. But to back up my claim that it's fine for elite swimmers to set Masters records if they are registered Masters swimmers who swim in Masters meets: Derya Buyukuncu swam in the Beijing Olympics for Turkey. Went 55.43 in the 100 back. Three months later, he tore up the 100 back SCM world record at a local Masters meet in California. I was pleased to see him swimming (though a little mad that it meant no #1 time for me in that event) and was proud to see him break Martin Zubero's world record. But what if we counted his55.43 from the Olympics? He wasn't representing Turkey as a Masters swimmer and the time shouldn't count.

Unfortunately it does make some of the records a little arbitrary knowing that there are dozens of swimmers out there who could beat them if they decided they had nothing better to do one weekend than swim a local masters meet. I know a few of my former competitors could wipe the floor with me if they were roused out of hibernation. So, in essence, I know there's someone out there who could swim faster, but they aren't swimming, so I don't dwell on it. Oh, and to bring up a little more history... Mark Warnecke won the 2005 worlds (the real world championships) in the 50 *** as a 35-year-old. His time was 27.63. If that were to be ratified as a Masters world record for the 35-39 age group, I would be a little peeved, because that's simply an unattainabe standard for a non-professional swimmer. But I would take comfort in knowing the 28.53 I swam last week was a national record. But to back up my claim that it's fine for elite swimmers to set Masters records if they are registered Masters swimmers who swim in Masters meets: Derya Buyukuncu swam in the Beijing Olympics for Turkey. Went 55.43 in the 100 back. Three months later, he tore up the 100 back SCM world record at a local Masters meet in California. I was pleased to see him swimming (though a little mad that it meant no #1 time for me in that event) and was proud to see him break Martin Zubero's world record. But what if we counted his55.43 from the Olympics? He wasn't representing Turkey as a Masters swimmer and the time shouldn't count.