Records and Recognition

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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