Lars Frolander - Just check the news - yesterday at age 36 he won the 100 fly at the World Cup is Stockholm - 51.26 for 100 meters (sc) fly - that's just off his lifetime best of 50.44 (scm) in 2000 (the year he won the Olympic gold). Swimmers (and others) just keep expanding the perceived age limits for high level human performance.
Nice grab. I would say that 51.26 isn't quite "just off" 50.44 but we are mid-season so I think it qualifies for what we are looking for.
I thought the last time Lars announced came back (this is not the first time ) he was only going to be doing freestyle.
Well I'm not much help data-wise as I never swam distance until Masters. I swam 200m free at my back-of beyond club only once a year and never dropped below 2.30. I beat that at the ripe old age of 28 having not swum much at all from age 18-25, and I went on to do a PR when I was 31 about 18 months after having my first baby.
Sprint-wise, I came very close to PRs in 50 free, 100 free and 50 fly (but was still a good 2 secs off my 100 fly) at 28 and before I got pregnant. After then I concentrated on longer distances - it was easier to train for the distance free than fly in the group I swam with. Maybe I missed a golden opportunity of swimming distance as an age grouper - who knows?
And now another 5 years on I staggered in at 2.33 on 200m free this summer in a hot pool shortly after finishing an IM. But that's what a second baby and an international move does to you!
:blah::blah::blah: So I have no idea really - personally I feel my distance has improved as I have got older and I find it harder to find that explosive excitement necessary to sprint.
You swam stroke 50s in HS or are you talking about relay splits? As far as I know the high school order of the events is very standard across the US and includes the stroke 100s, 50-500 free, 200 IM and the 200 medley and 200 (since the early '90s or so) and 400 free relays.
I've definitely gone faster in masters than in HS in the 100 and 200 free. I think those are the only ones. I'm sure I'm faster in the 50, too, but my HS coach was smart enough not to ever put me in that event! :)
When I say HS I mean HS age. Some of my times are from age group meets, like the 50s. The 100s are generally from HS meets, though. The only 50 I see listed as a HS meet is from a relay, although I did graduate prior to 1990's :afraid:
I only swam BR in HS,100 mostly but 200 a couple of times when we swam against college JVs and 50s as relay time trials.Now at 61 I am faster than my HS times in all 3.I train smarter,I race smarter,but also I wasn't that good in HS and the rule changes in BR have made it a totally different stroke.
GO JANET!!! I think she is going to shock people!!! You can bet she will show up at USA Swimming meets.. Hope to see her at the 2012 Trials and Masters Nationals
We never had stroke 50s in age group meets, either. At least not above the 11-12 age group. That was always fine by me. Sprints were certainly never my forte.
Re: drop-off from '88-89 to '92 and '96
I used to work out w/ Janet back in high school (a couple of lanes over, I must admit), and while I was not privy to what was going on for her, I do recall hearing from mutual friends...
She got burned out to a degree
her body changed and it was difficult to make adjustments
the limelight and the pressure took a massive toll
Again. This is very 2nd hand and 15 years+ ago, so take it w/ a grain of salt. It's also not too revealing.
But if she's anywhere near where she was in training back in the early '90s, she'll be a threat to qualify. She used to routinely pull sub 4:20's during sets in workout.
Typical set back in '87, '88: 5x400 lcm
warm-up on 5:00
then 4:50
4:40
4:30
4:20
She would make the set easily.
My daughter asked Janet once why she thought she performed better than anyone else. Janet said she just worked harder. I think that saying swimmers have "talent" just discounts all the work they do.
Anyone see this interview yet?
tv.swimmingworldmagazine.com/.../6791
Long... but by the end Garrett brings it out.
Ed Moses likely coming back -on a bet.
her body changed and it was difficult to make adjustments
Considering how much she grew it's pretty impressive she didn't fall off more. She was just a tiny thing in Seoul in '88 and her stroke seemed totally adapted to that slight frame. I guess the bottom line is she's incredibly talented and a fierce competitor and that kept her on top when others might have faltered. I certainly wouldn't want to count her out from getting to the top again if that's her goal.
