Ok, so the more they email me, the more I get nervous about the water temp. Last year it was 69 which stung to get in, but it made for a nice swimming temp. By the end, though, my fingers and toes felt a little numb, but that could have been tired (??).
But this year, it could be up to 10 degrees colder?! What to do when the coolest water I can find here in Cincinnati is 80?
Parents
Former Member
I'm unaware of many of the rules and regulations of masters swimming, but... Wouldn't it make more sense to group swimmers in heats based on their times in order to promote a more "authentic" open water race/championship. Maybe this wouldn't be the ideal setup for all races, but for those in which a "national champ" is crowned I feel that this may be the best route to take. I'm certainly aware that this may present some logistical issues, but... one of the most magnificent aspects of open water swimming is that it often involves a tremendous amount of strategy. In other words, we all know that the fastest swimmer on the course doesn't always cross the finish line or slap the touch pad first... Grant Hackett, arguably the greatest long distance swimmer of all time can attest to this given his struggles in open water races. An open water champion is often crowned based upon their particular strategy or skill at navigating the waters. There are even swimmers that excel at using currents to their advantage or judging the right time to break away from the pack... Think of Larisa Ilchenko... she's won 8 world championships... all of which were captured by strategic maneuvers in the last kilometer... the "Ilchenko move" is now well known among those in the open water swimming world... I guess what I'm trying to say is that if USMS promotes a race that crowns an individual champion in a particular event, it should be done so in accordance with the spirit of the sport. If multiple heats are needed in a particular race (i.e. a national championship or even future big shoulders swims), I believe that pairing/grouping swimmers by predetermined standards will produce a much better environment for all swimmers and spectators; a more authentic open water experience. Swimmers, coaches, and spectators will have less reason to gripe about who swam the best race of the day... they'll also get a better taste of what open water swimming/racing is all about!
I'm unaware of many of the rules and regulations of masters swimming, but... Wouldn't it make more sense to group swimmers in heats based on their times in order to promote a more "authentic" open water race/championship. Maybe this wouldn't be the ideal setup for all races, but for those in which a "national champ" is crowned I feel that this may be the best route to take. I'm certainly aware that this may present some logistical issues, but... one of the most magnificent aspects of open water swimming is that it often involves a tremendous amount of strategy. In other words, we all know that the fastest swimmer on the course doesn't always cross the finish line or slap the touch pad first... Grant Hackett, arguably the greatest long distance swimmer of all time can attest to this given his struggles in open water races. An open water champion is often crowned based upon their particular strategy or skill at navigating the waters. There are even swimmers that excel at using currents to their advantage or judging the right time to break away from the pack... Think of Larisa Ilchenko... she's won 8 world championships... all of which were captured by strategic maneuvers in the last kilometer... the "Ilchenko move" is now well known among those in the open water swimming world... I guess what I'm trying to say is that if USMS promotes a race that crowns an individual champion in a particular event, it should be done so in accordance with the spirit of the sport. If multiple heats are needed in a particular race (i.e. a national championship or even future big shoulders swims), I believe that pairing/grouping swimmers by predetermined standards will produce a much better environment for all swimmers and spectators; a more authentic open water experience. Swimmers, coaches, and spectators will have less reason to gripe about who swam the best race of the day... they'll also get a better taste of what open water swimming/racing is all about!
