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'm curious, though, when's the last time you swam in lanes 1 or 8? Do you really think that lane placement makes no difference? I agree that one can elevate the importance of these things and make it psychologically more difficult. But things like lane placement, quality of pool, mixed gender heats, tech suits, etc. can potentially make a difference; it seems somewhat naive to deny that.
Hold up, I though anti-sandbaggers were victims. Now I see that sandbaggers are victims of aquatic injustice. Very confusing, all these victims.
I thought conditions in Mesa were fantastic. It was slightly distracting the beautiful blue skies and incredibly clear water but I put those aside and swam anyway.
I'm curious, though, when's the last time you swam in lanes 1 or 8? Do you really think that lane placement makes no difference? I agree that one can elevate the importance of these things and make it psychologically more difficult. But things like lane placement, quality of pool, mixed gender heats, tech suits, etc. can potentially make a difference; it seems somewhat naive to deny that.
Hold up, I though anti-sandbaggers were victims. Now I see that sandbaggers are victims of aquatic injustice. Very confusing, all these victims.
I thought conditions in Mesa were fantastic. It was slightly distracting the beautiful blue skies and incredibly clear water but I put those aside and swam anyway.
