So I see back in Feb Megan broke 3 Masters world records and recently I was just reading Dara Torres Book 'Age is just a number' and something caught my eye...
pg. 126 "FINA, the international governing body of swimming, requires a swimmer to sit out for a nine month period from events they recognize (this does not include Masters) after declaring an intent to come back and swim.
Ok so does this mean that if Jendrick is now a masters swimmer she would have to join USS swimming and quit masters and wait for 9 months before she could swim in say Olympic Trials?
Same question with Dara Torres - did she have to first quit masters and join USS and wait 9 months prior to doing any international meets?
Or could Jendrick be in Masters and USS at the same time?
Just got me curious. Thanks in advance. :)
so does this mean that if Jendrick is now a masters swimmer she would have to join USS swimming and quit masters and wait for 9 months before she could swim in say Olympic Trials?
NO
did she have to first quit masters and join USS and wait 9 months prior to doing any international meets?
NO
Or could Jendrick be in Masters and USS at the same time?
YES
She needs to announce to USS & FINA that she's come out of retirement. That's what starts the clock. The 9 month rule has to do with drug testing.
When elite athletes retire, they're dropped from drug testing lists, they no longer get tested.
When former elite athletes come out of retirement, they are put back on the drug testing list. They need to get through the 9 month waiting period before competing. They can still swim Masters, as far as I know, Masters doesn't have drug testing. I think the 9 month rule is a way to to prevent athletes who "retire" but use illegal ability enhancing drugs during their "retirement" from having an advantage when they reemerge.
Plus masters has provided several athletes who made a comeback, with a way to start out competing again on a low key level. They'll swim in a masters meet and see what happens. It worked well for Dara in 2007, she went 21.9 & 48.1 then announce she was going to train and compete in the 2008 trials.
Most athletes making a comeback, start out in a quiet humble fashion. They just want to train and find out where they are.
Very few make brash statements about what they expect to do at Trials.
The US 2012 trials are likely to have a few surprises next year.
When some athletes are burned out when they retire, swimming isn't fun, it feels like a job they're tired of. I've spoken to some who thought their breaks did them worlds of good. Now they feel a renewed sense of passion and excitement for swimming. I look forward to seeing how they do.
so does this mean that if Jendrick is now a masters swimmer she would have to join USS swimming and quit masters and wait for 9 months before she could swim in say Olympic Trials?
NO
did she have to first quit masters and join USS and wait 9 months prior to doing any international meets?
NO
Or could Jendrick be in Masters and USS at the same time?
YES
She needs to announce to USS & FINA that she's come out of retirement. That's what starts the clock. The 9 month rule has to do with drug testing.
When elite athletes retire, they're dropped from drug testing lists, they no longer get tested.
When former elite athletes come out of retirement, they are put back on the drug testing list. They need to get through the 9 month waiting period before competing. They can still swim Masters, as far as I know, Masters doesn't have drug testing. I think the 9 month rule is a way to to prevent athletes who "retire" but use illegal ability enhancing drugs during their "retirement" from having an advantage when they reemerge.
Plus masters has provided several athletes who made a comeback, with a way to start out competing again on a low key level. They'll swim in a masters meet and see what happens. It worked well for Dara in 2007, she went 21.9 & 48.1 then announce she was going to train and compete in the 2008 trials.
Most athletes making a comeback, start out in a quiet humble fashion. They just want to train and find out where they are.
Very few make brash statements about what they expect to do at Trials.
The US 2012 trials are likely to have a few surprises next year.
When some athletes are burned out when they retire, swimming isn't fun, it feels like a job they're tired of. I've spoken to some who thought their breaks did them worlds of good. Now they feel a renewed sense of passion and excitement for swimming. I look forward to seeing how they do.
