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.:)
For me, the question is a moral one. Sandbagging is is wrong. It is breaking the rules to gain an advantage.
Yes, it isn't the worst thing a swimmer could do, but it does violate the spirit of a shared community.
Wow. Wound kinda tight there, mister.
The rules are not being broken and it is a personal choice if someone decides to enter extra slow times. You don't have to like it, but it isn't the end of society, either.
For me, the question is a moral one. Sandbagging is is wrong. It is breaking the rules to gain an advantage.
Yes, it isn't the worst thing a swimmer could do, but it does violate the spirit of a shared community.
Wow. Wound kinda tight there, mister.
The rules are not being broken and it is a personal choice if someone decides to enter extra slow times. You don't have to like it, but it isn't the end of society, either.
