I have been following some the FINA suit talk going on right now and it seems quite possible that they may go back to all textile suits - pre 2008 starting next year. If that happens, how long will some of these records stand ?
Tom Jager did a 21.8 in 1990 ... Popov dropped it to 21.64 in a questionable race ... sub 21 may take 30+ years.
J. Skinner went 49.44 in 1976 --Biondi did a 48.4 in 1988 Hoogenbaand went 47.8 in 2000 .... sub 47 would take another 25 years.
Which records in your mind stand out in the current era? All you mention are the 50 & 100 free.
I don't think it will take 20-30 years for most records, though in any set of WRs there will always be a small number of durable ones. Think about what the WRs looked like 25 years ago compared to now. But obviously only time will tell.
Freestyle hasn't improved that much? I dunno, most of the current crop of sprinters look incredibly huge/powerful to me. Popov, Jaeger and Biondi all look like twigs by comparison.
There was an article in the WSJ a couple days ago on the size topic. As I recall, it reported on a Duke study on track and swimming sprinters. The conclusion was that both were increasing in size over time. And it wasn't just height; it was total body mass. So perhaps we'll see even more of the Bernard body types in swimming.
Which records in your mind stand out in the current era? All you mention are the 50 & 100 free.
I don't think it will take 20-30 years for most records, though in any set of WRs there will always be a small number of durable ones. Think about what the WRs looked like 25 years ago compared to now. But obviously only time will tell.
Freestyle hasn't improved that much? I dunno, most of the current crop of sprinters look incredibly huge/powerful to me. Popov, Jaeger and Biondi all look like twigs by comparison.
There was an article in the WSJ a couple days ago on the size topic. As I recall, it reported on a Duke study on track and swimming sprinters. The conclusion was that both were increasing in size over time. And it wasn't just height; it was total body mass. So perhaps we'll see even more of the Bernard body types in swimming.
