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.:)
Parents
Former Member
My fondest memories of when I was an outside burner and finished first or second, especially when it was a prelim/final meet. Nothing like squeezing into the final heat then have the guys in the middle go "how did I get 3rd"? Like Chris the only thing I don't like about being in the outside is that it is hard to see the other side of the pool.
As for sandbagging, its not for me. I want to know what everyone is looking at swimming in the meet and I want to have a goal for myself on paper. And if someone does sandbag to get a little more rest for their next event yes it can be hurting other competitors, namely me. If we are both doing the same 2 events and for swim 1 he sandbags slow then swim 2 is "optimistic" then he has essentially stolen extra recovery time. I will still swim my own race and take it is it comes but that is poor sportsmanship IMO.
My fondest memories of when I was an outside burner and finished first or second, especially when it was a prelim/final meet. Nothing like squeezing into the final heat then have the guys in the middle go "how did I get 3rd"? Like Chris the only thing I don't like about being in the outside is that it is hard to see the other side of the pool.
As for sandbagging, its not for me. I want to know what everyone is looking at swimming in the meet and I want to have a goal for myself on paper. And if someone does sandbag to get a little more rest for their next event yes it can be hurting other competitors, namely me. If we are both doing the same 2 events and for swim 1 he sandbags slow then swim 2 is "optimistic" then he has essentially stolen extra recovery time. I will still swim my own race and take it is it comes but that is poor sportsmanship IMO.
