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.:)
I think I'd summarize my position with regard to sandbagging like this: it's OK to sandbag, but it's also OK for the meet director to call you out on it. If the meet director thinks your sandbagged time could adversely affect the flow of the meet then they should at least contact you and ask why you entered with this time.
I think I'd summarize my position with regard to sandbagging like this: it's OK to sandbag, but it's also OK for the meet director to call you out on it. If the meet director thinks your sandbagged time could adversely affect the flow of the meet then they should at least contact you and ask why you entered with this time.
