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.
Sandbagging may diminish the individual but as far as affecting the community, I am still not buying it.
If somehow a person in the first heat expected to win and a sandbagger dashed his hopes, then life has not kicked this gentleman in the teeth enough (or perhaps he has taken too many blows to the head).
As far as clear water goes, the serious sandbagger attempts this only on longer events like the 500, 1000 or mile where this is not a factor.
Sandbagging may affect the timeline a few minutes but swimming slowly affects it much more. The 2 minutes people are delayed getting to the Rustler steakhouse do not even come close to paying me back for the seemingly endless eternity of sluggish miles I have endured in the past patiently waiting for my turn.
See y'all in Auburn...and please don't enter the 400...and no spitting.:)
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.
Sandbagging may diminish the individual but as far as affecting the community, I am still not buying it.
If somehow a person in the first heat expected to win and a sandbagger dashed his hopes, then life has not kicked this gentleman in the teeth enough (or perhaps he has taken too many blows to the head).
As far as clear water goes, the serious sandbagger attempts this only on longer events like the 500, 1000 or mile where this is not a factor.
Sandbagging may affect the timeline a few minutes but swimming slowly affects it much more. The 2 minutes people are delayed getting to the Rustler steakhouse do not even come close to paying me back for the seemingly endless eternity of sluggish miles I have endured in the past patiently waiting for my turn.
See y'all in Auburn...and please don't enter the 400...and no spitting.:)
