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.:)
Former Member
Can it be sportsmanlike if every mixed gender meet the fastest men get the center lanes and the fastest women get the outside lanes and the wake?
For this to be true it would seem every mixed gender event would have to have exactly six men seeded faster than the fastest woman (assuming 8 lanes). While I doubt this is possibly true, a solution could be to do a reverse sandbag and turn in a seed time that you know is lower than everyone else.
It seems the only individuals that are guaranteed the center lane are the fastest males in the whole event. I suppose I can see your point that the fastest women should be afforded the same opportunity. But you could extend it further - What if there is a 65 year old man seeded the same as the fastest woman and is actually the fastest person at the meet for his age group. Why should he be discriminated against and be put in an outside lane? How about a 90 year-old that is trying to break a national record and has to swim in heat one and get blown away by a bunch of sandbaggers that wanted clear water, more rest before the next event, or just wanted to leave early?
Not sure, but I may be the only sprinter that commented. .
You're not alone in this thread ;)
I'll never concede a win to someone in any lane. It's not in my wiring to do so. I, in fact, get more pumped up when I'm in an outside lane. Its way more fun smoking the heat from the outside and being all underdog-esque. :) Happens to me alot more in USAS meets it would seem just because of the volume of entries. I always end up center lanes in masters meets.
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.
and the use of smilies on the Forums.
:thewave::bliss: :ohyeah: That Guy will back me up on this one; right, That Guy? :D What do ya say? Us against 'Geek and Wookiee??? :duel:
That's a good attitude, and works much of the time.
However, I'm sure you can see my earlier point that in a mixed gender meet I might prefer not to be swimming in an outside lane next to you? Aren't you just a tad bigger than me? :) Can it be sportsmanlike if every mixed gender meet the fastest men get the center lanes and the fastest women get the outside lanes and the wake?
Bottom line for me is that I don't care that much about what times other people enter. Agree with Wookiee -- worry about yourself not others. And it doesn't seem like most of the outspoken anti-sandbaggers here are even effected by it very often.
Indeed bigger, probably double you. I doubt you'd notice much being next to me though. I don't waste energy creating a wake, it all goes towards forward speed instead :angel: Certainly OTHER large flailing wake prone people might mess you up though. This is a better argument for seperating genders by heats. I've always wondered why every other competition (usas, collegiate, high school) ALWAYS keeps genders seperate yet masters keeps heats mixed for most if not all competitions.... but that is moving towards another topic.
As the first post mentioned, the whole point of seeding according to times is to keep the meet moving along. And it's primarily the distance events that require the most adherence to relevant seed times. Five minutes here and there during something like the 1,000 can really throw the time-line off.
Regarding sand bagging to gain an advantageous lane...that's a total crap shoot. What's the probability that it will result in the supposed coveted middle lanes?
Leslie,
We had a fair number of Saturday night meets in Kansas City. Our meets were small and usually only ran 2-3 hours. We'd start at 5 or 6pm, finish around 8pm, then all go out to a restaurant afterward!
A Forums topic with differing views and many posts, yet no one is throttling each other? This is cited by the Ancient Mayans as a sign presaging the End of Days (the Divine Rupture will take only swimmers who are pure of heart and deed).
Actually the Mayans knew of sandbaggers and despised them: their versions were those prospective human sacrifices who, reluctant to be in the 'spotlight' of being eviscerated on the altar would take poison to avoid the horrific pain (seeking clear water) caused by dedicated priests creating smilies with their intestines.
I have polled me, myself and I: sandbagging when done by others is vile, unsportsmanlike, impure, annoying and weak- but when done by yours truly it is convenient, non-disruptive and not worthy of sanction.
Also, many people may have sandbagged due to an overestimation of the suit effect. Hadn't really thought about that.
I don't think that is sandbagging.If you think that you will go slower than you do that is just an honest mistake.In sandbagging you know you will swim faster than your entry time.
