Is a 'slow' swimming pool impeding world records? • Hacker News Board

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

#291

Post by ldng » Thu, Aug 01, 2024, 1:12 PM UTC

samldev wrote: post #5

I was a college swimmer, qualified for Olympic Trials in 2012 and 2016. There are absolutely slow and fast pools. It basically comes down to two things: 1. The depth - which is only 7ft in Paris, unusually shallow for a competition pool. 2. The sides. Does the water spill over the sides into the gutters, or smash into a wall and bounce back, creating more chop. A trained eye can see all the swimmers in Paris struggli…

Supposedly, all the Paris 2024 new accommodation were designed with re-usability for the general public after the Olympics. Is it possible that had an impact the swimming pool on design choices ? Put differently, are performance design at odd with more general/accessible design in the case of a swimming pool ?

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

#292

Post by alistairSH » Thu, Aug 01, 2024, 1:17 PM UTC

dredmorbius wrote: post #288

samldev wrote: post #5

I was a college swimmer, qualified for Olympic Trials in 2012 and 2016. There are absolutely slow and fast pools. It basically comes down to two things: 1. The depth - which is only 7ft in Paris, unusually shallow for a competition pool. 2. The sides. Does the water spill over the sides into the gutters, or smash into a wall and bounce back, creating more chop. A trained eye can see all the swimmers in Paris struggli…

The one aspect which isn't equal at least amongst Olympic and other competitions is that a slower (or faster) pool will generate fewer (or more) records overall. One measure of the current games' bias would be the number of new Olympic and world records set as compared with other events --- prior or subsequent Olympics, and other world-level competitions within the current year, say. I expect the quants at sites such…

Are records generally evenly distributed over time? Or do we see massive spikes due to single generational talents?

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

#293

Post by lostlogin » Thu, Aug 01, 2024, 1:23 PM UTC

alistairSH wrote: post #292

dredmorbius wrote: post #288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The one aspect which isn't equal at least amongst Olympic and other competitions is that a slower (or faster) pool will generate fewer (or more) records overall. One measure of the current games' bias would be the number of new Olympic and world records set as compared with other events --- prior or subsequent Olympics, and other world-level competitions within the current year, say. I expect the quants at sites such…

Are records generally evenly distributed over time? Or do we see massive spikes due to single generational talents?

> Or do we see massive spikes due to single generational talents?

Various types of doping could cause this too. More positively, tech, diet and science changes could too in some sports too.

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

#294

Post by benob » Thu, Aug 01, 2024, 1:25 PM UTC

Do they make anechoic swimming pools that would absorb waves like acoustic anechoic chambers?

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

#295

Post by lostlogin » Thu, Aug 01, 2024, 1:29 PM UTC

lordnacho wrote: post #252

thaumasiotes wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There are so few events where the conditions are exactly the same every 4 years. The Olympics used to be held at Olympia. It's not difficult to make the conditions the same every four years.

On that note, I should mention the idea of having a permanent Olympic city. Perhaps a new one. That way, there's no circus that goes around at great expense each time, and the Olympic city becomes a centre for sports science during the interim. Perhaps have separate summer and winter cities. Only drawback is the ioc doesn't get to choose a city every four years.

> Only drawback is the ioc doesn't get to choose a city every four years.

That’s a massive drawback which is probably insurmountable.

They to love kickback.

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

#296

Post by jmalicki » Thu, Aug 01, 2024, 1:54 PM UTC

samldev wrote: post #5

I was a college swimmer, qualified for Olympic Trials in 2012 and 2016. There are absolutely slow and fast pools. It basically comes down to two things: 1. The depth - which is only 7ft in Paris, unusually shallow for a competition pool. 2. The sides. Does the water spill over the sides into the gutters, or smash into a wall and bounce back, creating more chop. A trained eye can see all the swimmers in Paris struggli…

For point 2, wouldn't the reflections off the sidewalls create more issue with chop on the outer lanes than the middle?

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

#297

Post by eddieroger » Thu, Aug 01, 2024, 1:56 PM UTC

BigParm wrote: post #220

How is there not a standard regulation design

One can ask the same about baseball diamonds and how it's remotely fair to compare home run records when the distance needed for one is different (though with a minimum) 30 times over.

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

#298

Post by michaelrpeskin » Thu, Aug 01, 2024, 1:59 PM UTC

Loughla wrote: post #218

Paddywack wrote: post #206

Years ago Johannesburg put in an Olympic bid. Because of the high altitude (1753m) they had issues affecting a number of disciplines when it came to records due to the thinner air... If I recall correctly: - Javeline would go further (less air resistance) - High cardio events would go slower (less oxygen for athletes) That would have been a "slow pool" factor all things being equal!

That's actually super cool. I ran cross country through high school and one year of college. I was fast. Very, very fast in Ohio. We traveled to Colorado for an invitational. I was so slow and so tired. 18 year old me didn't realize that air changes. Idiot. I also realized that if those guys ever came to the Midwest, they would absolutely dominate.

Yeah. I’m an aged mountain biker. Very mediocre. But when I travel to low altitude, I feel like Superman when I ride.

I live at 5000 ft now, but in my 30s I lived and slept at 9000 but did all my rides near 5000. That was an amazing time for my fitness. I could go hard at “low” altitude but recover at high which is what my body adapted for.

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

#299

Post by sswezey » Thu, Aug 01, 2024, 2:03 PM UTC

djtango wrote: post #228

candlemas wrote: post #50

The pool in Beijing was said to be fast (25 world records broken). But they were also using a now banned swimsuit. https://www.npr.org/2008/08/10/93478073/chinas-olympic-swimm...

The water cube was such an epic pool - extremely deep and the level perfectly flat rather than elliptical. I still have dreams of swimming in it

What do you mean the level was perfectly flat vs elliptical? The surface of the pool? I'm confused

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

#300

Post by palijer » Thu, Aug 01, 2024, 2:12 PM UTC

jmalicki wrote: post #296

samldev wrote: post #5

I was a college swimmer, qualified for Olympic Trials in 2012 and 2016. There are absolutely slow and fast pools. It basically comes down to two things: 1. The depth - which is only 7ft in Paris, unusually shallow for a competition pool. 2. The sides. Does the water spill over the sides into the gutters, or smash into a wall and bounce back, creating more chop. A trained eye can see all the swimmers in Paris struggli…

For point 2, wouldn't the reflections off the sidewalls create more issue with chop on the outer lanes than the middle?

The outer lanes are where the slower swimmers are placed already anyways, so if they were having more chop, it wouldn't likely impact a medal contender and cause a big upset... Not saying that outer lanes haven't come out on top in the last, but less likely.