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Guttertalk:
Should USA Swimming Hold A Short Course Qualifying Meet for Short Course Worlds?
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ROWDY GAINES
1984 Olympic gold medalist & television sports analyst
It is an imperfect system. I think everybody understands that. I think going forward, it just depends on how much emphasis is put on short course meters.
It takes a lot to put on a meet like that, a trials. Is it worth it? Is it valuable enough? Katie Ledecky has barely swum short course meters. Have you seen a list of the top 10 performances all-time? She’s not on it.
It has not been important in the past, but it’s becoming more important now because of money. When there wasn’t any money, nobody cared. Now that there’s money, then people’s livelihoods are at stake. Now that it’s really a livelihood situation, then short course meters has become important.
I think things need to be done to accommodate those kinds of athletes who put an emphasis on short course meters and make their livelihood on that. It took something like this (Coleman Stewart being left off as a world record holder) to make this an issue. It’s an imperfect system.
TOM SHIELDS
2x U.S. Olympian (member of Short Course Worlds team)
Yes. Create an amalga-mation / combination of results with a creative formula or just implement a “use-your-head” policy. Refer to someone who knows the game (short course yards/meters), and who is ideally unbiased to help make the hard choices between NCAA swimmers and pros. Or else just run a meet. And I believe there should be an American record/world record consideration.
But in my opinion, we can extrapolate a formula to identify direct medal threats with a little bit of brain work. Not me, but we have some smart dudes around who can whip something up, and we can tweak it as we go.
ZACH HARTING
2021 U.S. Olympian (member of Short Course Worlds team)
Yes and no. I’m one of the guys who benefits from it being picked from long course. I understand that. I do think holding a Trials would be challenging. If there was a Short Course Worlds Trials, it would give an advantage to pros who can focus on that or taper properly for that over college kids whose focus is conference and NCAAs.
There’s also not a good time to hold them. Maybe November? But this year there wasn’t, not with ISL. I also don’t think you can pick based off SCM times. I think that’d be unfair to college kids who would have a shot otherwise.
But SCM isn’t really a thing in the U.S., so the pros swimming in the ISL and maybe some summer league swims are about it. So I think that route is invalid.
Basically, there’s no good way to select the team. While I’m happy to go, I know the current system benefits me and other long course “specialists”—if that’s the word for it—so I plan to do my best and not let the others down.
BEATA NELSON
American record holder in SCM 100 IM (not on Short Course Worlds team)
I would love it if they did a qualification meet. I know it is difficult to make something like that happen, but I think short course performance should be a part of deciding a short course team, for sure.
Click here to download the December 2021 issue of Swimming World, available now!
[Dressel Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher / USA Today Sports]
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FEATURES
014 2021 SWIMMERS OF THE YEAR
by Dan D’Addona, Matthew De George, John Lohn and David Rieder
World: Caeleb Dressel (Male American) & Emma McKeon (Female Pacific Rim)
Male Pacific Rim: Zac Stubblety-Cook
Female American: Katie Ledecky
European: Evgeny Rylov & Sarah Sjostrom
African: Ahmed Hafnaoui & Tatjana Schoenmaker
022 THE TOP 10 PERFORMANCES OF 2021
by John Lohn
Five-time Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel heads the list of the best swimming performances produced in 2021, thanks to his world record in the 100 meter butterfly at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Overall, the top 10 performances consisted of seven women’s efforts and three from the men. A further breakdown reveals seven individual swims and three world record-setting relays.
025 HONG KONG HERO
by David Rieder
People gathered in shopping malls, crowding in front of big screens to watch their national hero race for Olympic medals. Others watched on office conference room TVs, while passengers on the train had their mobile devices tuned to the Tokyo Games. What they saw was Siobhan Haughey become the first and only Olympian from Hong Kong to capture multiple medals—two silvers in the 100 and 200 freestyle.
032 ISHOF FEATURE: AQUATOTS MURDER CASE—THE KATHY TONGAY STORY (Part 3)
by Bruce Wigo
This is the final story of a three-part series about “The Aquatots Murder Case” regarding the death of 5-year-old Kathy Tongay and the subsequent murder charge against her father, Russell. This month’s episode: Russell Tongay’s appeal, life in (and out) of prison, what happened to Kathy’s brother, Bubber, and the impact the case had on age group sports in America.
044 NUTRITION: HOLIDAY/INTENSE TRAINING
by Dawn Weatherwax
To train hard, you need to eat hard! Make sure you put as much emphasis on nutrition and sleep as you would on your workouts.
COACHING
036 COACHING IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT (Part 2)
by Michael J. Stott
Last month, in Part 1, Swimming World explored how COVID-19 altered swim training as we have known it. This month, we look at some issues and opportunities facing club swimming as it strives to be the sport of choice for a younger generation.
042 SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS: MAXIMIZING SWIMMING VELOCITY (Part 6)—THE PUSH PHASE
by Rod Havriluk
In freestyle and butterfly, swimmers typically decrease the push phase time to increase stroke rate and swimming velocity. In doing so, the premature upward motion of the elbows pulls the hands upward and compromises propulsion. Most swimmers can gain additional propulsion on the push phase by pushing the hand backward instead of pulling the hand upward.
045 SPECIAL SETS: ZOE DIXON—VERSATILITY IS KEY
by Michael J. Stott
Zoe Dixon, 2021-22 National Junior Team member, has had quite a year. Swimming for Coach Norm Wright at NOVA of Virginia, the 17-year-old is ranked No. 1 in Virginia and 11th nationally for the Class of 2022, and has committed to the University of Florida.
047 Q&A WITH COACH BRENT BOOCK, ELMBROOK SWIM CLUB (Wis.)
by Michael J. Stott
048 HOW THEY TRAIN CAMPBELL STOLL
by Michael J. Stott
TRAINING
041 DRYSIDE TRAINING: FINISH STRONG
by J.R. Rosania
JUNIOR SWIMMER
051 UP & COMERS: THOMAS HEILMAN
by Shoshanna Rutemiller
COLUMNS & SPECIAL SECTIONS
012 A VOICE FOR THE SPORT
013 DID YOU KNOW: ABOUT THE 1951 PAN AMERICAN GAMES?
028 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
050 HASTY HIGH POINTERS
052 GUTTERTALK
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