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
Perhaps we can dispense with hyperbole, too.
I believe the issue is whether or not sandbagging is unsportsmanlike.
I enter meets for a variety of reasons. But my expectation is that the other swimmers will conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner.
If a swimmer enteres a time they are comfortable entering, for whatever reason, how is it unsportmanlike? Should we all run our meet entries by you, for your approval, to make sure we are competing based on your opinion of what others should do to take the meet good for you?
Perhaps we can dispense with hyperbole, too.
I believe the issue is whether or not sandbagging is unsportsmanlike.
I enter meets for a variety of reasons. But my expectation is that the other swimmers will conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner.
If a swimmer enteres a time they are comfortable entering, for whatever reason, how is it unsportmanlike? Should we all run our meet entries by you, for your approval, to make sure we are competing based on your opinion of what others should do to take the meet good for you?
