theraceclub.netcolumn gary future olympicathlete.phpOpen ↗
Some snippets from the above article:
Most swimmers stop competing because they can no longer
financially afford to stay in the sport or their shoulders
were blown out by overzealous college and age group coaches.
(Hall is proposing various match races) Nick Folker versus
Lyndon Ferns. Nick was left off the South African Olympic
team despite finishing fifth at his country’s Olympic
Trials. Instead they are taking their sixth finisher in the
100 freestyle (Ferns) because he swam a faster time four
months before the trials. Isn’t the Olympic all about
getting it up when it counts? Ferns choked at trials and I’m
sure the experienced Olympic veteran Folker will prove any
time - any place that he can whip Ferns in a head-to-head
battle. *This race would make a great under-card to the
round robin elimination races described above.
As Ian Thorpe said, “Defending Olympic Champions should get
an automatic Olympic berth as long as they can accomplish
the Olympic “A” time standard as dictated by FINA. I would
go one step further and say all Olympic medallists should
have this honor.
One false start rule to be changed. We saw the problems that
this one caused with Thorpe's 400 free false start. We want
to see the fastest swimmers swim, bottom line. There was
also a problem with this in the 100 meter dash at the last
world championships for track and field.
“Fast suits” are ridiculous and their evolution needs to be
controlled. Races should never come down to which suit any
one individual is wearing. The senior elite swimmers of the
world should have a say in the extent by which “technical”
advancement is allowed in the sport it will level the
playing field of competition and help maintain the
credibility of the sport’s historic records. Imagine if
major league baseball allowed aluminum or corked bats.
Donal Fagan AIA Donal@DonalO'Fagan.com (Anglicise the name
to reply by e-mail)