﻿{"id":473192,"date":"2021-05-22T07:44:58","date_gmt":"2021-05-22T14:44:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=473192"},"modified":"2021-05-22T07:44:58","modified_gmt":"2021-05-22T14:44:58","slug":"relays-rule-why-these-team-events-elevate-excitement-in-the-sport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/relays-rule-why-these-team-events-elevate-excitement-in-the-sport\/","title":{"rendered":"Relays Rule: Why These Team Events Elevate Excitement In the Sport"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Relays Rule: Why These Team Events Elevate Excitement In the Sport<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>By Josie Wise, Swimming World Intern<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From the famous <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/honoring-hall-of-famers-remembering-the-epic-olympic-anchor-of-jason-lezak-video\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4&#215;100 freestyle relay<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/hall-of-fame\/bio\/swimmer\/jason-lezak#:~:text=At%20the%202008%20Beijing%20Olympics,one%2Dhundredths%20of%20a%20second.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jason Lezak<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Beijing all the way to a tiny high school showdown, relay swims are capable of getting an entire natatorium of people screaming at the top of their lungs. Anyone who has been witness to one of these swimming events knows that gut-wrenching anticipation, stomach full of wild butterflies, and ultimate exhilaration that comes with seeing which swimmer will get their hand to the wall first. There are close calls in every event in swimming, but none seem to consistently elicit the response of a relay. So what differentiates relay races and individual swims for a crowd?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Rivalries<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like with any competition, there are always deep-rooted rivalries between competitors. At the Olympic level, these can run deep and be huge motivating factors for teams and spectators. Furthermore, the swims that can truly rile up a crowd are those that motivate people to cheer for swimmers that aren\u2019t on their own teams. That can be one of the magical effects of relays. Spectators may be more likely to cheer for a team that\u2019s somewhat of an underdog, or one that\u2019s competing to defeat an opponent that has one way or another come to be known as the &#8220;bad guys.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_183046\" style=\"width: 352px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-183046\" data-attachment-id=\"183046\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/exclusive-shirley-babashoff-breaks-30-year-silence-on-east-germanys-systematic-doping-of-olympians\/shirley-babashoff\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Shirley-Babashoff.png\" data-orig-size=\"800,660\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Shirley-Babashoff\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Shirley-Babashoff&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo Courtesy: Swimming World Magazine&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Shirley-Babashoff-700x500.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Shirley-Babashoff.png\" class=\" wp-image-183046\" src=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Shirley-Babashoff-700x500.png\" alt=\"Shirley-Babashoff\" width=\"342\" height=\"244\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-183046\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Courtesy: Swimming World Magazine<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the 1976 Olympic Games, there were rumors circulating that the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/dopings-darkest-hour-the-east-germans-and-the-1976-montreal-games\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">East Germans were doping;<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and though the rumors weren\u2019t confirmed until later, it sparked the women\u2019s 4&#215;100 freestyle relay to become a legendary race. The United States, led by <strong>Shirley Babashoff<\/strong>, had not been expected to win but ended up seizing both the world record and gold medal over the East Germans. When watching the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=j4dPLZko5wc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">video<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the race, you can hear the commentator begin to yell along with the screaming crowd. It&#8217;s easy to see for yourself why this race ranks as one of the most thrilling relays ever.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While this example is on the largest scale possible in the sport, that&#8217;s not to say it doesn&#8217;t occur at the smaller levels. High school state meets are places where school rivalries can kick up some racket. College conference meets and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NCAAs<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are also chock-full of historic feuds. Anywhere you go in the sport, there are bound to be favorites and underdogs, good guys and bad guys. Relays are sometimes the sole chance for those to come under the spotlight.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>The Fresh Leg<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most obvious difference between a relay and an individual swim could also be looked at as another reason for relay excitement: there are four people on a relay and only one in individual events. Each new person that leaps into the water could twist the competition in an entirely different way. It could seem that one team has a commanding lead, but once two new swimmers are in the water, it\u2019s a completely different race.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imagine yourself sitting in the stands on the fifth night of finals at a long meet. You\u2019re watching your team\u2019s relay swim in the last event, and don\u2019t expect much because they aren\u2019t meant to win. The first people dive in, and everything is how it should be with your team a few lengths behind. Then the next person jumps in and gets a little bit of a lead. Your heart jumps &#8211; maybe you\u2019ll win this after all! But the third leg dives in and your heart sinks as they fall behind again. And then, the final swimmers dive into the water. The tides change <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">again<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Suddenly, you\u2019re on your feet with the rest of your team, throat going hoarse, ears ringing with the noise of the natatorium. Before you know it, your anchor has touched the wall first and delivered the unexpected. After the roller coaster of a race, as you celebrate with your team, you find yourself appreciating the wild magic of relays.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>The 400 Freestyle Relay<\/b><b><\/b><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_412491\" style=\"width: 406px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-412491\" data-attachment-id=\"412491\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/aussie-swimmer-michael-klim-to-be-inducted-into-the-international-swimming-hall-of-fame-as-part-of-class-of-2020\/michael_klim_2000\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Michael_Klim_2000.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"700,498\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Michael_Klim_2000\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Michael_Klim_2000&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Michael Klim and the gold-medal Australian Relay team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Michael_Klim_2000.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Michael_Klim_2000.jpg\" class=\" wp-image-412491\" src=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Michael_Klim_2000.jpg\" alt=\"Michael_Klim_2000\" width=\"396\" height=\"282\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Michael_Klim_2000.jpg 700w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Michael_Klim_2000-280x200.jpg 280w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Michael_Klim_2000-300x213.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Michael_Klim_2000-450x320.jpg 450w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Michael_Klim_2000-150x107.jpg 150w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Michael_Klim_2000-500x356.jpg 500w, https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Michael_Klim_2000-533x379.jpg 533w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 396px) 100vw, 396px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-412491\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michael Klim and the gold-medal Australian Relay team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many different relays in swimming, but it would be a shame to not acknowledge perhaps the most monumental one. The 400 freestyle relay is commonly set to be the last event of the competition in many meet formats. This last race can act as the swimming equivalent of the final few seconds of a basketball game where teams are tied, or when a football player is just yards away from scoring a winning touchdown. In swimming, when the meet has come down to just a few points between teams, the 400 free relay can be the deciding factor of who wins. It isn\u2019t hard to picture the pure excitement in a natatorium at this point in a meet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you\u2019re an athlete in a relay cheering on your teammates from behind the blocks and letting the adrenaline fuel you in the water, or simply an ecstatic spectator, relays are the culmination of everything great about swimming. They bring out the best in competitors. They allow the sometimes squandered team aspect of the sport to truly shine. And most importantly, they\u2019re just really <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fun. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So the next time you\u2019re watching a swim meet (possibly the Olympics!) with some exciting relays, don\u2019t be afraid to get on your feet and cheer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Relays Rule: Why These Team Events Elevate Excitement In the Sport By Josie Wise, Swimming World Intern From the famous 4&#215;100 freestyle relay with Jason Lezak in Beijing all the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57517,"featured_media":384957,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[17],"tags":[16365,801,9394,63271,127653],"class_list":["post-473192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","tag-1976-olympics","tag-jason-lezak","tag-relay","tag-relays","tag-rivalries"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 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