Guest editorial by David Rieder
PHOENIX, Arizona, August 27. THE 2009 championships season has come and gone, and the sport of swimming is in the middle of a transition away from performance-enhancing suits while swimmers around the world are trying to get last cracks at some of the few world records that remain on the books from before the tech suit revolution.
As we transition into 2010, the question is: how many world records will fall? Assuming high-tech suits are allowed in the World Cup and European Short Course championships, the run of world records is likely not over. Also, how many will be set in 2010 when these suits go away?
Picking standout swims and swimmers this year is harder than it has been in the past. For example, after the Beijing Games, it was clear that Michael Phelps and Stephanie Rice would be named Swimming World Magazine World Swimmers of the Year. This year, though, there are several swimmers who could win either award. Who do you think will take home top honors?
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David Rieder, a regular guest contributor to Swimming World, owns his own blog at SwimDR549.blogspot.com. He can also be found on Twitter at twitter.com/david2swim.
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August 27, 2009 PLEASE... if an American is World Swimmer of the Year, then they are automatically American Swimmer of the Year. Too many people have said something like Phelps is World Swimmer of the Year, but Peirsol takes American top honors!
I'll put up a summary of the early results this weekend on the blog. Submitted by: SwimDER94
August 27, 2009 Phelps showed bad sportmanship at Worlds over the hi tech suits which nearly all of his teammates wore. Its like slapping your teammates in the face.
American Swimmer of the Year: Ryan Lochte
World Swimmer of the Year: Paul Biedermann Submitted by: TheBigSurf
August 28, 2009 Swimmer of the year should blong to a freestyle record holder.
Agree with TheBigSurf, Phelps demonstrates what a sore loser looks like. It was an ugly scene, especially his mother's expression, I had to turn away from TV .... Submitted by: zhaoleban
August 28, 2009 BigSurf, what do you think of Lochte also wearing older technology? He didn't show bad sportsmanship?
Zhaoleban, was that on NBC? What did Debbie Phelps do? Submitted by: JakedBadForYou
August 28, 2009 This year Phelps won 5 golds and a silver in Rome, 3 golds in Indianapolis and broke WRs 3 times. Also, he gave us two of the most memorable and most talked about races during Worlds: 200 free and 100 fly. If anyone won even more, he should be World Swimmer of The Year. Otherwise, it's Phelps again. Sorry. About 'bad sportsmanship': it was Phelps who said he was beaten by the swimmer, not by the suit. Those are facts. Get over it. Submitted by: likac05
August 28, 2009 Phelps was appaling in that 100 Fly final but no one comes close even in his weakest year in four years to toppling him. That pains me to say!
Female swimmer of the year is the tough one. Steffen or Pellegrini. Submitted by: Priyant
August 28, 2009 Maybe it's just because I'm an American and a big fan of Michael Phelps, but I really don't see what was so bad about his 100 fly. He had a wild reaction. Most people would after a swim like that. He showed off his suit. In my opinion, that was his supporting his sponsor. It was a bit show-offy towards Cavic, but I think it was mainly excitement and anger that had built up a little bit too much over that week.
Priyant, I know you think the LZR is just as bad as the rest of them, but I am very proud of the swimmers that stuck with their sponsor and did the right thing, even though it may affect them personally. (The only LZR-gold medalists were Phelps, Lochte, Spofforth, and Coventry.)
I agree with you about female swimmer of the year. Steffen and Pellegrini pretty much did the same thing in their respective events.
For American female swimmer of the year, I think no one had a flawless year. If Soni had swam a good race in the 200 and had a good finish in the 50, it would be her no question, but now it's a bit up in the air.
For the Perserverance Award, Shanteau currently has a majority of the vote, but can he win two years in a row? I personally think he shouldn't have won last year, and this year the award fits, but I don't think they will give it to him again. Submitted by: SwimDER94
August 28, 2009 I freaking loved Phelps' reaction after he won the 100 fly. Loved loved loved it. Besides post-finish of any race at Worlds this year easy, I can't even think of another one. Submitted by: Sphere
August 29, 2009 Well in that case I respect Britta Steffen for racing in a Hydrofoil and sticking with Adidas, her sponsor. The Italian team for sticking with Jaked who was their sponsor, etc. They're all crummy in my opinion. Submitted by: Priyant
August 29, 2009 Well in that case, I respect all the swimmers who switched suits instead of sticking with their sponsor. It showed they were more interested in the end result than money Submitted by: JakedBadForYou
August 29, 2009 Agreed.
Also on topic, I think the reason the 1500 WR's stood was because the race itself is a BIG mind game and nothing but. When Hacky and Kate set those WR's, there wasn't the pressure of other competitors. Even in Fukuoka, Grant was so far ahead of everyone else, it was an easy victory. Kate was the same seeing as it was at a very small meet. You can't 'swim your own race' these days. Submitted by: Priyant
August 29, 2009 Michael Phelps should be world swimmer of the year again.Can anybody else surpass his achievement?No doubt.5 golds 1 silver,2 WRs with his inferior speedo launched in 2008.
The 100fly final is amazing,maybe the best race of the year.Phelps won the race in his out-of-date speedo! Cavic was beaten by phelps,wearing supersuit Arena X-glide.Phelps reaction impressed me.I loved it."Michael Phelps is Michael Phelps, and he does what he does, and he did." - By Milorad Cavic after he was out-touched by Michael Phelps in the 100 Fly
Female swimmer of the year,I'd prefer Steffen.
Submitted by: 815
August 29, 2009 "With his inferior suit". "his out of date suit". Get over it. If you say that and dismiss the achievements of other swimmers in Jakeds and X-Glides, then I dismiss Phelps's golds won in 2008 when he wore the "superior" suit - the LZR. Please.
Anyway, regarding female swimmer of the year, pretty amazing effort by Steffen, but I just realised Pellegrini was more...barrier breaking. Submitted by: Priyant
August 29, 2009 I think male swimmer of year should be Micheal Phelps but I think it is very hard to say .At least 6 male swimmers had pretty good years .Yes phelps did get 5 golds and a sliver at worlds and set 3 lcm world records this year but there was also César Cielo who got 2 golds worlds and 1 world record,Paul Biedermann got 2 golds and sliver at worlds and 2 world records ,Ryan Lochte
got 4 golds 1 bronze at worlds and 1 world record not including the relay world record.there is also Aaron Peirsol,Oussama Mellouli.
for women I thiink it is between Britta Steffen and Federica Pellegrini . Submitted by: stc27
August 29, 2009 You make two good points, Priyant. Still, I think Phelps' haul at Worlds, suit or no suit, is still a decent haul, especially considering all that has happened in the last year. I could see the World Swimmer of the Year award go to him, Peirsol, Biedermann, or Lochte. (I think it would be all Peirsol if he had made the 100 back final - and won!)
The main thing about Phelps: would Biedermann have won (let alone by so much) the 200 free (not the 400) if he was wearing the latest LZR-equalivent Arena suit (can't keep track of all the names!)? However, I consider the results of Worlds to be the correct ones, even without the suits. The times are another story. Submitted by: SwimDER94
August 29, 2009 Agreed SwimDER. Also, it's not like Paul was a nobody. He's been there for a while now and was the fastest European for a long while coming in.
I think it's no debate Phelps should win male swimmer. No question. And I don't like him. But it's pretty black or white. What's not black or white is suggesting Aaron Peirsol, who was remarkable but inconsistent and ultimately not as BIG as what the others achieved. Lochte could have a good case made for him but he doesn't measure up to Phelps for as long as they're both in the sport. Finally, Biedermann v Cielo, I think the former has the edge, but at the same time you look at "competition" and there was greater competition in Cesars event. The way I see it...
Phelps
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Biedermann/Cielo Filho
Lochte
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Peirsol
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Mellouli Submitted by: Priyant
August 30, 2009 That's a massive generalisation. Steffen didn't. Fine I'll just say the one person in the 100m Butterfly that wore it, that came 46th was the "rightful" winner because everyone else wore a LZR. Submitted by: Priyant
August 30, 2009 oh,mon dieu,look at what the supersuit like Jaked01 or arena x-glide did.The 100 polyurethane supersuits destroy the fairness and have a huge advantage of speedo LZR
From SWIMNEWS,the winner of suit wars was arena, its X-Glide having sped swimmers to 14 gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze and 13 world records
SHINY MEDALS TABLE (no relays)
•X: 14 12 10 (36)
•J: 9 12 16 (37)
•L: 6 2 7 (15)
•H: 4 6 1 (11)
•D: 1 2 1 (5)
•One extra bronze, joint 3rd 200m breaststroke, men
WORLD-RECORD BONUS - solo swims only (quartets too mixed up)
•X: 13
•J: 13
•H: 7
•L: 5
KEY: J = Jaked01; X = arena X-Glide; H = adidas Hydrofoil; L = Speedo LZR; D = Descente Aquaforce
Poor swimmers in Speedo LZR !
Priyant ,almost everyone in beijing wore Speedo LZR
Submitted by: 815
August 30, 2009 For the sake of clarity, the two comments above are in switched order. That is, my comment that preceeds 815's latest comment, is actually a response to 815 saying almost everyone was in a LZR. Submitted by: Priyant
August 30, 2009 I really should have made Cielo one of the choices for male swimmer of the year. He has by far the most votes in the "other" category.
Another question: who will be Pac-Rim swimmers of the year? Both Koga and Rickard won world titles, but Irie had a pretty good year also. I think Schipper has the women's award locked up. Submitted by: SwimDER94
August 30, 2009 Agreed, Schipper no contest. Men's? Irie couldn't back up so he's out of it. Rickard v Koga, I think Rickard thanks to his WR and relay split. Howevs lets not forget Zhang Lin, that 800 free was...nutballs.
So we have Koga, Lin and Rickard. Koga didn't break a WR in the comp so I'd count him out. Rickard v Lin, I think Kitajima can break Rickard's WR or at least get close. Lin's was the most impressive performance to me (hello that last 100? Heck that last 50? What was THAT?!). Lin for the win! Submitted by: Priyant
August 31, 2009 How could I have forgotten about Zhang Lin? Since Rickard's 200 was nothing special, I guess Lin wins. Thing is, his 800 was unbelievable, but his 400 was just okay (he wore a LZR there, but a Jaked in the 800), and he completely died in the 1,500. No clear winner there. Submitted by: SwimDER94
Reaction Time responses do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions
of Swimming World Magazine or SwimmingWorldMagazine.com.
Reaction Time is provided as a service to our readers.
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