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.:)
Wow, I'd love to see the results of your "poll". I'm sure the questions weren't biased, and the polled group was a reflection of women swimmers who compete at meets. Entering a 36 when you did a 30? Come on.
In our little forum discussion you don't have too many female supporters. Perhaps they don't like being edged out of a top ten time by someone who knowingly doesn't follow the rules.
Just because others cheat doesn't let you off the hook. I wonder how many top ten times you have where you knowingly entered a false time to gain an advantage over your fellow competitors. Perhaps a little s behind your name would make it better.
I agree that the max number of events should be adjusted. I'm all for women and mens heats. It would be nice to have a true national championship, but that's another topic that doesn't answer why you think it's ok to enter false times to gain an advantage.
You, sir, are a bigger *ss than me!
I guess I should be sent to the forum jail for my attempted sandbag at a non-national meet.
With respect to my particular situation at that one meet (as opposed to the 100s and 1000s of sandbaggers, many of whom are TT & WR swimmers), you must be quite dense. I clearly stated that I did not want to be consigned to an end lane with men in all the center lanes if I entered the time I "expected" to swim in my best events. And though there is a rule that is supposed to prohibit this from happening, it is never applied. I don't happen to think it's fair or sportsmanlike for that to happen to women. Sorry if this seems "petty" to posters like Herb or bothersome to meet directors, but I tapered 3 weeks for this meet, fairness was important to me and I was excessively nervous. And, rest assured, when Jeff did take the time to reseed many of the women's times (which he doesn't want to do again), I had plenty of competition and swam in 3 different lanes. So no scarlet S by my WRs. And for the record, I swam much faster than I thought I would in the backstroke events and my shock was evident; this happens sometimes, especially after swimming for years exclusively in a tech suit. (I seem to recall you thought that was "cheating" as well.) Also, for the record, the outside lanes at this pool are, in fact, less desirable -- unlike some of the outside lanes at national pools as in the video Speedo posted.
I have no idea why other women haven't commented. It's possible, as you say, that they all think I'm scurrilous for copping to such attempted behavior at one mixed gender taper meet. I, on the other hand, would guess that it's the same problem we've always had on this forum. Women leave the forum or only lurk because the threads become too harsh and contentious, much like this one with all the name calling and moralizing. Or there is an excess of the "I'm always right-itis," which can be tiresome. Add to that we are sometimes "oversensitive."
And if you don't believe me when I say I've heard other women grumbling about mixed gender meets and seeding, go ask some yourself. The only male who's offered anything cogent as opposed to hostile was gdanner. Unfortunately, his point that he's a small guy swimming against big guys is only magnified further when you have a small woman swimming against big guys. I think it's pretty rich that all the men here are telling me, the only woman poster, how I should feel about mixed gender meets.
In terms of other sandbagging, I just don't care what people seed themselves at and/or whether they sandbag. Worry about yourself and just race.
Wow, I'd love to see the results of your "poll". I'm sure the questions weren't biased, and the polled group was a reflection of women swimmers who compete at meets. Entering a 36 when you did a 30? Come on.
In our little forum discussion you don't have too many female supporters. Perhaps they don't like being edged out of a top ten time by someone who knowingly doesn't follow the rules.
Just because others cheat doesn't let you off the hook. I wonder how many top ten times you have where you knowingly entered a false time to gain an advantage over your fellow competitors. Perhaps a little s behind your name would make it better.
I agree that the max number of events should be adjusted. I'm all for women and mens heats. It would be nice to have a true national championship, but that's another topic that doesn't answer why you think it's ok to enter false times to gain an advantage.
You, sir, are a bigger *ss than me!
I guess I should be sent to the forum jail for my attempted sandbag at a non-national meet.
With respect to my particular situation at that one meet (as opposed to the 100s and 1000s of sandbaggers, many of whom are TT & WR swimmers), you must be quite dense. I clearly stated that I did not want to be consigned to an end lane with men in all the center lanes if I entered the time I "expected" to swim in my best events. And though there is a rule that is supposed to prohibit this from happening, it is never applied. I don't happen to think it's fair or sportsmanlike for that to happen to women. Sorry if this seems "petty" to posters like Herb or bothersome to meet directors, but I tapered 3 weeks for this meet, fairness was important to me and I was excessively nervous. And, rest assured, when Jeff did take the time to reseed many of the women's times (which he doesn't want to do again), I had plenty of competition and swam in 3 different lanes. So no scarlet S by my WRs. And for the record, I swam much faster than I thought I would in the backstroke events and my shock was evident; this happens sometimes, especially after swimming for years exclusively in a tech suit. (I seem to recall you thought that was "cheating" as well.) Also, for the record, the outside lanes at this pool are, in fact, less desirable -- unlike some of the outside lanes at national pools as in the video Speedo posted.
I have no idea why other women haven't commented. It's possible, as you say, that they all think I'm scurrilous for copping to such attempted behavior at one mixed gender taper meet. I, on the other hand, would guess that it's the same problem we've always had on this forum. Women leave the forum or only lurk because the threads become too harsh and contentious, much like this one with all the name calling and moralizing. Or there is an excess of the "I'm always right-itis," which can be tiresome. Add to that we are sometimes "oversensitive."
And if you don't believe me when I say I've heard other women grumbling about mixed gender meets and seeding, go ask some yourself. The only male who's offered anything cogent as opposed to hostile was gdanner. Unfortunately, his point that he's a small guy swimming against big guys is only magnified further when you have a small woman swimming against big guys. I think it's pretty rich that all the men here are telling me, the only woman poster, how I should feel about mixed gender meets.
In terms of other sandbagging, I just don't care what people seed themselves at and/or whether they sandbag. Worry about yourself and just race.
