I searched and couldn't find this posted, but I could have missed it.
Anyways, its pretty interesting because the official basically says Cavic touched first, but didn't "push" and slid, while Phelps pushed with force, etc etc. (He talks about this right at halfway through the video)
www.swimchampions.com/.../
Personally I think you have to live with however the time system works as long as it is functional. If it was functional and Cavic didn't press hard enough, its tough luck.
The only alternative is to just present a "tie" when you are within the margin of error of the equipment.
Parents
Former Member
What constitutes clear evidence that the timing system malfunctioned? Does anyone here feel that IF THE TIMES WERE REVERSED, that the photos would have been CLEAR evidence that timing system malfunctioned? (That is, do the photos show clearly enough that Phelps touched first such that if the pads had said Cavic one by 0.01, the timing system should have been overruled.) I think most people would believe it would be evidence, but I think most people may also believe it may not be clear enough.
In the Olympics or the Olympic trials, I felt the images from the TV showed two other relative finishes that should have been called differently. I would have to go back and review the races to try to find them. But, if we saw a pattern of questionable calls, how would that affect your confidence of the timing system? (I'm not sure I was right in my impression, but I felt one was pretty clear while the other could have been a Phelps-Cavic type finish.)
Most races are not decided by the 100th of a second where you can see both pads at the same time. It is rare to get a race in which you could distinguish a small difference between one pad and another. 99.99% of the time, one pad *could* measure 0.02 seconds slower than another and we'd never notice. (It seems unlikely that this would be the case, but then I don't know the design well enough.)
Does each touch pad undergo a test before each big meet to make sure it is functioning properly and promptly responds to the right pressure, across many points across its surface? I assume pads eventually fail. How often do pads fail such tests?
I'll also point out that with perfect equipment, Phelps could have triggered the pad anywhere from less than 0.001 to more than 0.019 before Cavic and yet have a time recorded as 0.01 seconds faster. Conceivably, if both swimmers were each 0.001 seconds faster (or slower), they would have registered the same time (ie, a tie) or the difference might have registered as 0.02. It all depends upon whether the 0.01 tick (or two) comes between their touches or not.
What constitutes clear evidence that the timing system malfunctioned? Does anyone here feel that IF THE TIMES WERE REVERSED, that the photos would have been CLEAR evidence that timing system malfunctioned? (That is, do the photos show clearly enough that Phelps touched first such that if the pads had said Cavic one by 0.01, the timing system should have been overruled.) I think most people would believe it would be evidence, but I think most people may also believe it may not be clear enough.
In the Olympics or the Olympic trials, I felt the images from the TV showed two other relative finishes that should have been called differently. I would have to go back and review the races to try to find them. But, if we saw a pattern of questionable calls, how would that affect your confidence of the timing system? (I'm not sure I was right in my impression, but I felt one was pretty clear while the other could have been a Phelps-Cavic type finish.)
Most races are not decided by the 100th of a second where you can see both pads at the same time. It is rare to get a race in which you could distinguish a small difference between one pad and another. 99.99% of the time, one pad *could* measure 0.02 seconds slower than another and we'd never notice. (It seems unlikely that this would be the case, but then I don't know the design well enough.)
Does each touch pad undergo a test before each big meet to make sure it is functioning properly and promptly responds to the right pressure, across many points across its surface? I assume pads eventually fail. How often do pads fail such tests?
I'll also point out that with perfect equipment, Phelps could have triggered the pad anywhere from less than 0.001 to more than 0.019 before Cavic and yet have a time recorded as 0.01 seconds faster. Conceivably, if both swimmers were each 0.001 seconds faster (or slower), they would have registered the same time (ie, a tie) or the difference might have registered as 0.02. It all depends upon whether the 0.01 tick (or two) comes between their touches or not.
