{"id":103780,"date":"2014-08-07T23:00:13","date_gmt":"2014-08-08T06:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=103780"},"modified":"2015-08-23T12:52:15","modified_gmt":"2015-08-23T19:52:15","slug":"commentary-backstroke-start-ledge-sorely-missed-at-usa-swimming-nationals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/commentary-backstroke-start-ledge-sorely-missed-at-usa-swimming-nationals\/","title":{"rendered":"Commentary: Backstroke Start Ledge Sorely Missed at USA Swimming Nationals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photo by Griffin Scott<\/p>\n

Editorial coverage for U.S. Senior Nationals proudly sponsored by Master Spas<\/a>!<\/i><\/p>\n

Commentary by Jeff Commings<\/i><\/p>\n

IRVINE, California, August 7. WHEN Bonnie Brandon slipped on the start of the 200 backstroke in the B final at the USA Swimming nationals, my heart sank. I had barely recovered when Elizabeth Beisel did the same thing in the championship final.<\/p>\n

You could hear a pin drop in the first 15 seconds of the 200 back final at the William Woollett Aquatic Center. No one could believe what they saw, or were just too speechless.<\/p>\n

If FINA hadn\u2019t stalled on the implementation of the backstroke starting ledge, Beisel and Brandon (as well as Nolan Brown in the men’s event) would have had very different outcomes tonight. Every backstroker tries not to think about slipping on the start, but the danger is there. The backstroke ledge takes the danger out of the equation.<\/p>\n

At the 2013 USA Swimming nationals, I was one of the first in the United States to test out the ledge:<\/p>\n