The anti-sandbag law:
"if a swimmer enters an event with a time significantly slower or faster than that swimmer's recorded time in the past two years, the meet director may, after a discussion with the swimmer, change the seeded time to a realistic time" (104.5.5.A(10)).
Concerning my Auburn nationals entry, I confess, when faced with a 7 hour 2 stop flight and 3:45 nonstop at an earlier time, I did what any warm-blooded middle-aged American swimmer with low self-esteem would do--sandbag my entry so I could catch the earlier flight, thus diminishing the possible time spent sitting next to a 400 pound Alabama slammer with sleep apnea wearing nothing but overalls and body odor. Of course, I was caught in my bold fabrication and my time was "fixed."
USMS seems to have an identity problem. Are we hard core with rigid qualifying times? It would seem not as 2 of my not-so-speedy family members were allowed to swim four events last year in Puerto Rico. If we are not hard core, why does anybody care that I sandbag? More to the point, why can one person enter a crappy time and another cannot? Just wondering.:)
Are NTs allowed at nationals?
I really dislike sandbagging: it slows the meet for everyone, it is essentially dishonest, and it can disconcert others in the heat. But also I dislike it because I enjoy competition (esp at nationals), and if one of my potential competitors is in another heat or an outside lane, it lessens the experience somewhat.
But it is hard to enforce unless blatant. There are some pretty legitimate reasons for entering a time much slower than a previous effort: if injury or life cuts training time drastically, for example. I guess that's why the "discussion" part is in the rule.
Are NTs allowed at nationals?
I really dislike sandbagging: it slows the meet for everyone, it is essentially dishonest, and it can disconcert others in the heat. But also I dislike it because I enjoy competition (esp at nationals), and if one of my potential competitors is in another heat or an outside lane, it lessens the experience somewhat.
But it is hard to enforce unless blatant. There are some pretty legitimate reasons for entering a time much slower than a previous effort: if injury or life cuts training time drastically, for example. I guess that's why the "discussion" part is in the rule.
