The problem with swimming
Hopefully you had a chance to catch some of the Olympic Trials for swimming last week. And unless you've been living in a hole you've no doubt heard of Michael Phelps. Among Phelps' accomplishments in the swimming pool are 6 gold and 2 bronze medals from the 2004 Olympics and seven gold medals at last year's World Championships. Trying to keep up with the number of world and American records he has broken is a rather daunting task. While his strengths are the freestyle and butterfly strokes, he has medaled in backstroke and regularly wins the individual medley which involves breaststroke. The man is a very versatile fish. And
therein lies the problem with swimming. Phelps now has the potential to medal in up to 8 events in Beijing.
Now consider that there are 17 swimming events (12 individual + 5 relays) available to the men in the Olympic Games. He alone could bring back nearly half the men's gold medals. Does that seem right?
There are no other sports in which one individual could potentially win so many medals. In track, 4 is about the most and the sprinters/long jumpers have typically had the best shot at that. Other sports with the best potential are skiing, ice skating, and gymnastics. Maybe 3 medals are possible in those disciplines. For most sports you train for years on end with a slight chance to medal in only one event. But swimming is a potential bonanza for one person to medal in. Why should swimmers have an opportunity to take home an inordinate amount of medals? It just isn't fair to the other athletes.
It helps to better understand the swimming events. Backstroke, breastroke, and butterfly are offered in both the 100 and 200 meter distances. Is there really much of a difference between 100 and 200 meters? I suggest they offer 100 meters and 400 meters for those strokes. That would allow for individuals to be a specialist in either the sprint (100) or distance (400) events. By doing so, you open the sport to other swimmers and you don't see the same swimmers doubling up in the 100 and 200.
Freestyle is currently offered in the 50, 100, 200, 400, 1500, and 10000 meter distances. That's plain crazy! Again, cut the number of offerings. There ought to be the 100, 400, 1000, and 5000. From 6 events to 4 and a good enough range to allow different types of swimmers a chance to medal.
Now, to address the most awesomest of the swimming events, the individual medley. The IM requires the individual to swim each of the 4 strokes. The IM is offered in two distances: 100 or 400 meters. This ought to change to the 400 and 1200 meters. You are already a bad@$$ if you do the IM, might as well create an opportunity for someone to do the 1200 IM. I propose the winners of the 1200 IM be named King and Queen of the Pool.
Naturally, the relays have to change too. The 4x100 and 4x200 freestyle relays should change to 4x100 and 4X400.
The current 4x100m medley relay needs a counterpart. So I propose a 4x400 medley be added.
These changes would level the playing field. Fewer sprints and more distance, and less of a chance for doubling up. I urge athletes in other sports to take a stand on this and push for fair play.





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