If they go back to true regular suits and Jammers, we may never see the times of the last 2 years again - well at least not until they change the rules again.... I went back to look at the World Rankings for 10th Place and 25th place for the last 7 Olympic years. The Olympic years have always been the fastest years (except of course for 2009 - thanks to you know what). I used the 10th and 25th spot to avoid the "freak" factor and good a good average rate of improvement. Also - I used Freestyle to avoid the impact of rule changes and the emergence of dlphin kicks.
1984 50.36 50.93
1988 50.13 50.54
1992 49.83 50.43
1996 49.74 50.27
2000 49.15 49.67
2004 49.08 49.45
2008 47.83 48.5
2009 47.77 48.27
A couple of things jump out:
- rate of progress has slowed down to maybe 1 to 2 tenth per Olympic cycle
- Big drop in 2000 with arrival of Fastskin suits - about half a second ! and of course a full second and more in 2008.
- In a 1996 suit, I would guess the current times to be just a little slower than the 2000 times.
They are going to have trials next year for the 2011 Worlds - I am guessing a 49.7 or 49.8 will make the US team in the 100 Free ....
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..... I also think, people saying that records don't add to the hype or popularity of a sport are way off base -- I could not tell any women's 200 track champions, but I sure know who is the "man" for the men.
ehoch,
Yes, but can you even remember even half the the names or people that set the 100+ World Records the last 2 years. The vast majority of these names seem to just slide into oblivion after their own records got broken again and again..... so many times in one year. I'm serious when I say, I stopped looking at my blackberry email updates from swimming world last year with the new world record announcements. It just got to be kind of joke.
As for women's track champions...... Are you really watching them that closely? Their sport appears to be pretty dirty to me.
".... always look at track and field - especially the women's events. They now have a much cleaner sport. It was not even technology, it was PEDs causing all these ridiculous world records -- so fans should be more excited to have great performances by (hopefully) clean athletes. But I am not watching track any more -- I don't want to watch the women's long jump winner failing to clear 7 meters. The men's high jump has been at the same height for 25 years. By the way - does anybody think Usain Bolt is clean ? I would bet anything that he is not ..... "
..... I also think, people saying that records don't add to the hype or popularity of a sport are way off base -- I could not tell any women's 200 track champions, but I sure know who is the "man" for the men.
ehoch,
Yes, but can you even remember even half the the names or people that set the 100+ World Records the last 2 years. The vast majority of these names seem to just slide into oblivion after their own records got broken again and again..... so many times in one year. I'm serious when I say, I stopped looking at my blackberry email updates from swimming world last year with the new world record announcements. It just got to be kind of joke.
As for women's track champions...... Are you really watching them that closely? Their sport appears to be pretty dirty to me.
".... always look at track and field - especially the women's events. They now have a much cleaner sport. It was not even technology, it was PEDs causing all these ridiculous world records -- so fans should be more excited to have great performances by (hopefully) clean athletes. But I am not watching track any more -- I don't want to watch the women's long jump winner failing to clear 7 meters. The men's high jump has been at the same height for 25 years. By the way - does anybody think Usain Bolt is clean ? I would bet anything that he is not ..... "
