Column by John Lohn
CRANBURY, New Jersey, September 28. A few topics will be addressed this week, the first two because I'm honestly having a real difficult time making some decisions on a pair of assignments that are due in the near future for Swimming World's print product. Maybe some reasoning from our readers will help.
**This coming week, my ballot is due for the selection of World Swimmer of the Year, along with the various regions around the globe. I won't tip my hand on where I'm going on the female side, but I admit to having some difficulty with the direction I'm traveling for my men's decision. Here's the thought process.
Germany's Paul Biedermann took down a pair of world records in the middle-distance freestyles, including the removal of an iconic standard in the 400 free. Meanwhile, his triumph in the 200 free arrived over Michael Phelps, and in convincing fashion. But, is it necessary to weigh the impact of the high-tech suits when measuring Biedermann's accomplishments? He was playing within the rules, but without that suit, we wouldn't be talking about Biedermann breaking a pair of global standards.
Then there's Phelps and Ryan Lochte to consider. While Phelps was defeated by Biedermann in the 200 free, he did walk away from the World Championships with five gold medals and a silver, the biggest haul of the meet. He set world marks in both butterfly events, his performance in the 100 fly the most dramatic of the World Champs, considering his duel with Michael Cavic.
As for Lochte, he pulled off what Phelps did at the Beijing Olympics, capturing both individual medley disciplines, the shorter distance in world-record time. He added a bronze medal in the 200 backstroke and was a key figure on two winning relays for the U.S.
Nope, it's not an easy selection, especially when you add in standouts such as Cesar Cielo and Aaron Peirsol, men who also deserve some consideration. I have a slight idea what to do, but there will be some internal debate right up until the deadline.
**The second tough call is determining the top-10 performances of the year. Many of these decisions have been made, but there are two I'm having trouble deciding between. Which is greater? The 1:52.98 cranked out by Italy's Federica Pellegrini in the 200 freestyle or the 2:06.15 performance from American Ariana Kukors in the 200 individual medley.
Pellegrini's time is only slightly slower than the effort Mark Spitz used to win the event during his historic run at the 1972 Olympics. The Italian star obliterated the competition and is the only individual ever under 1:54, let alone under the 1:53 barrier. However, Kukors' time in the shorter medley is as hard to fathom. She won the event by more than a second, and her clocking was more than two seconds quicker than what Stephanie Rice went for gold in Beijing.
**The International Olympic Committee will decide on the location of the 2016 Games this week, the announcement set for Friday following the voting process. The race has been called one of the tightest in recent memory, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid and Tokyo battling it out. It has been suggested that Chicago and Rio are the frontrunners, but not by much.
Although the U.S. held the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, it will have been 20 years since it hosted the Summer Games, and that's too long a time for a nation that has the richest Olympic history of any nation. Does that sound ultra-American? Yeah, and there's no apology for that stance. It would be great to see the Games return here. And who knows? Maybe it would even entice Michael Phelps to race beyond London. Just kidding – well, sort of.
**A major coup for the Auburn University women's swimming program last week with the commitment of Dagny Knutson to swim for the Tigers. There's little doubt that the addition of Paul Yetter to the Auburn staff played a role. Look for Yetter's influence to continue to help the recruiting of Brett Hawke.
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September 28, 2009 Top men's swimmer is a really tough call this year. You named all the top candidates, and they are close. Given that Biedermann, Phelps, Lochte, and Cielo each won two individual events at Rome, I think you have to eliminate Piersol, given that he only won one (even though he ended up with two WRs, and even two championships records). Given that Biedermann and Phelps each set two WRs, I think you have to rank them ahead of Lochte and Cielo, each of whom set one. The case for Lochte would be that he also won a bronze, and the case for Cielo is that he won what were arguably the most hotly contested events, but still, you have to give Phelps and Biedermann the nod. And you're right about Biedermann's 400 record, it would never have happened without the suit (although the same can be said for most of the records set this year). The same cannot be said for Phelps' records, though, as he set both fly records in a last year's model suit. And Phelps also got a silver in an individual event. So, even though it was effectively an off year for Phelps, and even though it seems boring to award it to him for yet another year, I think you have to give it to Phelps.
That is another really close call between Pellegrini's and Kukors' swims. Kukors broke the previous record by more (roughly two and a half seconds to one and a half seconds), yet Pellegrini had a larger margin of victory in Rome. If you're going to use the 1972 men's times as a comparison, keep in mind that the 200IM was won at the Olympics with a 2:07.1 (Gunnar Larson), so while Pellegrini was almost up there with Spitz, Kukors was a full second ahead of Larson. I'd vote for Kukors, probably mostly on the basis of there only being one woman who's ever been within two and a half seconds of her WR, whereas there have been a number of women inside that margin for Pellegrini's WR. But you're right, it's another awfully close call. Submitted by: halfbreed
September 28, 2009 Halfbreed,
Actually, there have been 4 women within 2.5 seconds of Pelligrini's time and 3 women within 2.5 seconds of Kukors' time (Rice,Hosszu, Coventry). However, if you scale back, there have been 0 women within 1.5 seconds of Pelligrini's time and 2 women within 1.5 seconds of Kukors' time. That's right, none to 2. Also, the comparison to the 2 athletes from the 72 Olympics - Spitz vs. Larson - well, that's not a fair comparison of greatness.
The greatest margin of victory (any race under 400 meters) at Worlds was Pelligrini's, as well as the most number of world records.
Finally, I would have to agree with Phelps being the top selection, but number 2 for me is certainly Lochte, since you know Biedermann's WRs don't really belong to him (suit enhanced without question). I think Biedermann is a great swimmer in his own right, but I believe he is a year out from TRULY setting world standards (or winning world championship caliber races - let's face it, the retro approach is gonna slow times down markedly).
Phelps (who edges out Lochte) and Pelligrini (who barely edges out Steffen - 2 WRs, 3 if you count the relay). Submitted by: mario2007
September 28, 2009 When Kukors set her 200 I.M. record, my reaction was, "WOW, that is fast!" But when Pelligrini swam her 1:52, my very first thought was how she would have swum stroke for stroke with Mark Spitz and THAT grabbed my attention. My vote goes for Pelligrini. Submitted by: paddles
September 28, 2009 World Male Swimmer of the Year should be Phelps who set 5 WRs in one year Submitted by: 815
September 28, 2009 World Male Swimmer of the Year should be Phelps who set 5 WRs(3 individuals and 2 relays)in one year with his old inferior suit.Nobody else could set 5 WRs in 2009.
The 100fly between Phelps and Cavic was awesome,absolutely the most exciting race of the year.
World Female Swimmer of the Year,it's a touch call.My choic is Kirsty Coventry who won a gold (WR)and a silver in her non 100% polyurethane Speedo LZR Submitted by: 815
September 28, 2009 I love the people that poo poo the swims of Biederman, frankly he out swam Michael no doubt. Will he have to prove himself in Berlin; no I don't think so. Biederman is not afaid to race Michael at all. So swallow hard, and bite your tongues. Who are the swimmers of the year is subjective at best. The best swimmer and swims are not quantity but quality. Phelps had three world records this year, I believe so did Peirsol. For the states the second best swimmer is Peirsol. Submitted by: swimfan3
September 28, 2009 Mario -- Thank you, you're right, there have been three women within 2.5 seconds of Kukors. I was being lazy, and went on memory rather than looking up the times. I had forgotten about Hosszu, and I was thinking that Coventry's time from 2008 was just outside 2.5 seconds, rather than the 2.44 seconds it actually is. There have actually been five women within 2.5 seconds of Pellegrini's record, however: Schmitt 1:54.96, Isakovic 1:54.97, Pang 1:55.05, Vollmer 1:55.29, and Yang 1:55.47. But you're right, there are none within a second and a half, in fact none within 1.9.
As far as the '72 comparison, yes, Spitz was further ahead of his time than Larson, but he wasn't really that much ahead of his time in the freestyles, it was his 100 fly record which lasted the longest, 5 years, and his 200 fly record lasted for four years. When he went his 1:52.78 in the 200 free, Steve Genter went a 1:53.5. When Larson went his 2:07.1, I'm pretty sure second place was a 2:08+.
As far as Biedermann's records, I think it's a travesty that he took down Thorpe's 3:40.08 by .01, but his 200 beat Phelps's record by a full .9, which pretty much makes it an equivalent swim; remember, Phelps was wearing the full body LAZR for that one. Submitted by: halfbreed
September 28, 2009 400free is not Biedermann's major individual.
Biedermann acknowledged that his polyurethane version gave him an edge over Phelps, who stuck with his once-revolutionary LZR Racer.
"The suits make a difference," Biedermann said.
Biedermann went 1:44:71 in 28th Jun 2009 in old arena revolusion on Germany trials Submitted by: 815
September 28, 2009 400free is not Biedermann's major individual.
Biedermann acknowledged that his polyurethane version gave him an edge over Phelps, who stuck with his once-revolutionary LZR Racer.
"The suits make a difference," Biedermann said.
Biedermann went 1:44:71 in 28th Jun 2009 in old arena revolusion on Germany trials，just one month before Roma Championships.It's his best record in 200free without high-tech suits .What a huge difference.Ridiculous
Submitted by: 815
September 29, 2009 Why so many comments that Biedermann's suit should preclude him from Swimmer of the Year consideration, but none about anyone else? Pellegrini, Kukors, Cielo et. al. - they all wore high-tech. If this is going to be a consideration against Biedermann, then it should be against everyone else. Submitted by: grizzly
September 29, 2009 I agree, grizzly Submitted by: paddles
September 29, 2009 I agree also with you both! Biedermann did great and so did the others you mentioned. To 815 your right if your counting relays Peirsol set four world records this year! U.S.A can't really believe Lochte is the swimmer of the year.(RUBISH) Submitted by: swimfan3
September 29, 2009 Another way to look at it - if Kukors gets the vote, then Biedermann should as well. After all, no woman has broken 2:10 for 200 IM swimming in a textile suit. So, to paraphrase John, "without that suit, we wouldn't be talking about Kukors performance in the 200 medley".
Submitted by: grizzly
September 29, 2009 My choice is not Pellegrini, not Kukors, not Cielo,not Biedermann....All of them wore 100% polyurethane supersuit.
Kirsty Coventry did great job with inferior speedo LZR.I'd prefer her.
Kukors? Are you kidding? At the World Championships trials, Kukors placed third in the 200m IM final,she wore TYR in 2:11:07
She broke 200m IM world record in 2:06.15 with the Jaked suit.
4.92secords in one month? can you believe that? ridiculous.Her story tells us the difference between the suit in 200m!
"It didn't take great insight to notice that the impermeable suits worked as pure flotation aids, Hutchison said, helping swimmers keep their feet up with less effort. That, in turn, allowed Kukors to hold her head higher without losing that body position. And the high head, Hutchison realized, provided a significant strength boost to her stroke."
Arena X glide and Jaked01 provides different benefits to different people over different distances and on different strokes.
Submitted by: 815
September 29, 2009 My choice is not Pellegrini, not Kukors, not Cielo,not Biedermann....All of them wore 100% polyurethane supersuit.
Kirsty Coventry did great job with inferior speedo LZR.I'd prefer her.
Kukors? Are you kidding? At the World Championships trials, Kukors placed third in the 200m IM final,she wore TYR in 2:11:07
She broke 200m IM world record in 2:06.15 with the Jaked suit.
4.92secords in one month? can you believe that? ridiculous.Her story tells us the difference between the suit in 200m!
"It didn't take great insight to notice that the impermeable suits worked as pure flotation aids, Hutchison said, helping swimmers keep their feet up with less effort. That, in turn, allowed Kukors to hold her head higher without losing that body position. And the high head, Hutchison realized, provided a significant strength boost to her stroke."
Arena X glide and Jaked01 provides different benefits to different people over different distances and on different strokes.
Submitted by: 815
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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