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Is a 'slow' swimming pool impeding world records?

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Re: Is a 'slow' swimming pool impeding world records?

#111
post #96

So it's more shallow, which is a problem. Like if you trained for track on pavement vs rubber vs sand, you're going to have different results, even if "everyone has the same environment" not everyone's body will have the same relative response. I don't like that assumption that just because it's the same for everyone means the difference will affect everyone the same. Are France competition pools across the country j…

"minimum standard of 2 meters that was still in place when Paris 2024 plans were approved; but below the new World Aquatics minimum of 2.5 meters."

Although the recommendation has been 3 meters for a while.

Re: Is a 'slow' swimming pool impeding world records?

#112

Well, if this is the case, then wouldn't a person who gets out to an early start have a tremendous advantage over the rest of the group since she'd be swimming largely without interference for the first length of the race while the trailers would have more turbulance? Also, I've never understood why there aren't more standards for Olympic tracks / pools / gear. For example, everyone should be required to train in and…

...would they all have to train the same, eat the same food, etc?

Re: Is a 'slow' swimming pool impeding world records?

#113
What I remember from the London Olympics is that records don’t fall from the sky, but venues can be planned/ optimised for them. Maybe this did not happen in Paris so much?

See this bit on the Velodrome in London: https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/making-tracks-building-th...

Re: Is a 'slow' swimming pool impeding world records?

#114
post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe they all change their behavior because they know the pool is less deep as they are used to. Some kind of placebo effect or fear of coming to close to the ground. Many athletes are superstitious.

There's Olympic gold medals on the line. People are going absolutely as hard as they can. There's no way an Olympic pool for the actual Olympics should be that shallow. If athletes prefer a deep pool, the pool should be deep. Swimming is one of the premier sports at Olympics. It's also a facility that has one of the most reuse if built properly. You don't think a Paris aquatic center wouldn't get tons of reuse in wor…

> There's Olympic gold medals on the line. People are going absolutely as hard as they can.

They don't have to outswim the bear. They just have to outswim the silver medalist.

Re: Is a 'slow' swimming pool impeding world records?

#115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Picking on it exactly because there's no difference in sound, but the extreme audiophiles will claim they hear it anyway. https://ventiontech.com/products/toslink-to-mini-toslink-opt... - "gold-plated connectors resist corrosion for optimal signal transfer over time." - it's an optical cable!

There is an audible difference after being in a high temp high humidity environment for 5 years :)

Have you tried not listening to music underwater??

Re: Is a 'slow' swimming pool impeding world records?

#117
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Competitive Olympic swimmers in G20 countries aren't always rocket scientists and brain surgeons ... BUT .. thay are frequently coached by teams that include leading sports scientists with degrees in fluid dynamics | applied mathematics | etc. Australia, as one example, took swimming (and a few other sports) next level with a plethora of studies on all things performance related. Any theorectical results from, say, C…

The powerhouse swimming nations (USA, China, Australia, Canada, UK, etc) are so far ahead of everyone else it isn't even close anymore. My niece was not fast enough to be invited to the trials this year (missed by .03 seconds in her favorite event), but her time would have put her into the second heat in Paris. She's the ~150th fastest person in the USA, but would have come in ~25th place in the Olympics. It's the sa…

If she's likely to continue to be fast again in 4 years, it might be time to venue shop her team? Have any connection to other countries not in the top? Even if not, 4 years might be enough time to develop a connection. Being 25th in the Olympics is way cooler than being 150th in the USA, even if they're objectively the same speed. Also, you may need to adjust her speed if the Olympics pool is slower than the trials speed; but still it's way cooler to be any place in the Olympics than 150th faster in the USA --- maybe unless you're in the know for swimming.

Venue shopping might feel ick, but I don't think it's too bad if you're in the competitive envelope, as opposed to what's perhaps a tradition of less then competitive entrants in some events.

Re: Is a 'slow' swimming pool impeding world records?

#118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Olympic swimming is held in temporary pools in an indoor arena. Temporary pools explain the shallow depth and high walls. It isn't construction problem but decision to not use permanent pool. Temporary pools seem to be thing recently. The US trials were held in one.

You can set up a temporary pool in a huge venue such as a football stadium and get higher attendance, or stated differently, you can accomodate a one-time need for that much spectator capacity for an event like the Olympics when you will never need that again in the lifetime of the facility.

Maybe not the same level of attendance, but you can build a permanent pool with temporary stands for the Olympics, and use the larger than necessary deck in other ways after the Olympics.

Re: Is a 'slow' swimming pool impeding world records?

#119

Well, if this is the case, then wouldn't a person who gets out to an early start have a tremendous advantage over the rest of the group since she'd be swimming largely without interference for the first length of the race while the trailers would have more turbulance? Also, I've never understood why there aren't more standards for Olympic tracks / pools / gear. For example, everyone should be required to train in and…

...would they all have to train the same, eat the same food, etc?

Let's not be intentionally obtuse.

Re: Is a 'slow' swimming pool impeding world records?

#120

Well, if this is the case, then wouldn't a person who gets out to an early start have a tremendous advantage over the rest of the group since she'd be swimming largely without interference for the first length of the race while the trailers would have more turbulance? Also, I've never understood why there aren't more standards for Olympic tracks / pools / gear. For example, everyone should be required to train in and…

Identical apparel is a non-starter unless the athletes have identical body shapes, or we're abandoning (US) broadcasting rights to go Olympic Style.
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