Archive for October, 2021

Long or short?

I thought I knew swim well but that proved me so wrong when I first arrived in the US, Honolulu, Hawaii: the Olympics size pool, in fact, was less than half the size of 50 meters (25 yards is ). I was mortified and disappointed. I argued with the hotel … you know where that would lead to. Poor as China (in 1986) and tiny as Hong Kong, all our pools were 50 meters. I couldn’t imagine the richest country is so cheap on the pools. Yet, they manage to produce huge among of elite swimmers. 

I found the following on FB, regarding the long and short course swimming feuds:

Coleman Stewart ‘Cannot Understand USA Swimming’s Reasoning’ for Short Course Worlds Snub
By David Rieder/Swimming World 28 October 2021

In his first ISL match of the season, Coleman Stewart crushed the world record in the short course meters 100 backstroke. But despite all that, he was not named to USA Swimming’s team for the Short Course World Championships in December in Abu Dhabi, and Stewart is not being shy about his frustrations with the process that left him without a chance at a world title.

After USA Swimming’s announcement of the teams bound for Abu Dhabi Thursday afternoon, Stewart posted about his disappointment to Twitter and Instagram. He wrote, “I was not offered a spot on the short course worlds team by USA Swimming. As the current world record holder in a short course event, I cannot understand USA Swimming’s reasoning behind the decision.”

Stewart went on to criticize USA Swimming for picking short course teams based on long course results, calling it “an outdated selection process that has worked in the past, and may continue to work due to the depth of our swimmers, but it leaves off some of the best swimmers America has to offer. USA Swimming has a history of only caring for their top-tier long course swimmers, and leaving multiple short course American record holders off the team has only solidified this in my opinion.”

Previously, Stewart had revealed on the “Inside with Brett Hawke” podcast that he had not heard from USA Swimming about Short Course Worlds. Both Stewart and host Brett Hawke expressed surprise and frustration about the situation, especially considering his remarkable efforts over the past few months.

On August 29, Stewart swam a 48.33 to lop a quarter-second off Kliment Kolesnikov’s previous record, just one day after he clipped Matt Grevers’ previous American record in the event. Stewart, a former standout for the NC State Wolfpack, went on to have consistent success in the sprint backstroke events all season while representing the Cali Condors. He scored three wins in both the 50 and 100-meter distances plus one win in the 200 back during his month-long stint in Naples, Italy.

However, USA Swimming selected its team for Short Course Worlds from its official 2021-22 National Team, which was based entirely on long course swimming. According to the organization’s website, the National Team includes “the six (6) athletes with the fastest times in each individual Olympic event, from the combined results of all USA Swimming or FINA sanctioned competitions, will be named to the roster.” In many events, that resulted in a group similar to the top six finishers from Olympic Trials making the cut.

A group which, by the way, did include Stewart — just not for the 100 back. At Olympic Trials, the 23-year-old from York, Pa., tied for fourth in the 100 fly, missing the Olympic team by about six tenths, and he took eighth in a very tight 100 free final, coming even closer to making the team with six swimmers selected for relay purposes. But in the 100 back, Stewart placed 10th in the semifinals in 53.91. In comparison, Trials runnerup Hunter Armstrong swam a 52.48, and the sixth-fastest American in the event long course, Matt Grevers, has a top time this year of 53.18.

So based on those criteria, Stewart was never going to be selected for the 100 back. Maybe the 100 fly, should enough swimmers decline spots, but those spots went to Trials runnerup Tom Shields and the versatile Michael Andrew, the No. 2 swimmer in the country this year.

The truth is that Stewart is correct in his assertion USA Swimming has never prioritized Short Course Worlds. It has been years since a short course selection meet was held, and usually, the spots go to whichever top long course swimmers are interested in attending. That comes at the detriment of swimmers who excel in short course but are still seeking a long course breakthrough — like Stewart and Beata Nelson. Nelson had eight individual wins for the Cali Condors this ISL season, and in that span, she broke the American record in the 100 IM (57.90) and fell just a half-second short of Missy Franklin’s decade-old record in the 200 back.

Nelson would undoubtedly be a gold-medal contender in Abu Dhabi, but instead, the American representatives in the 200 back will be Rhyan White and Isabelle Stadden, and Melanie Margalis and Abbey Weitzeil will swim the 100 IM. The first three are excellent swimmers in their respective events, but none have been racing in the ISL all year and accumulating valuable short course meters experience. Weitzeil has been in the ISL, but she is a sprint freestyler, maybe good for a 50 fly thrown into the mix.

Most years, the Short Course Worlds are sparsely attended among American and international swimmers. Short course world titles and medals simply do not carry the gravitas of their long course cousins. Same thing with short course records, since many top athletes never mess with short course meters. In 2021, the will be even more down than usual following off the Olympics and the COVID-19 pandemic. Australia has already announced it will not send a representative team.

Still, the selection criteria just lack some logic. Especially with so much more short course meters racing to be had in this age of the ISL, why not give the best short course swimmers in the world a chance at some international glory, a chance to bolster their résumé and maybe pick up some cash along the way? That’s a chance that Stewart and others would certainly sign up for.

Leave a Comment

My first butterfly

It was ok when I started out but when I got to the parking lot, the rain began to pound the earth of NewYork. Everyone has their cloth on – it would be cool to wear the bathing suit straight from the car – that would be a riot!

Two good news:

  1. 1,000 free for 19:36 (6:00 to 25:36, touch and go)
  2. 25 yard fly for 0:40 – my first ever straight fly

… more flys

Leave a Comment

19:45 for 1k

🏊‍♂️ my best timing in swimming this year: 1,000 yard 19:45 [愉快]💃 oh ya [玫瑰][爱心]

🏊 进步 缩短到了十几分钟了 💃

foliage …

Leave a Comment

bugs at shower

A bug infested Michael Tully Park

Sunday, 2021.10.24

2021.10.21

Leave a Comment

 Yoga at Lake Minnewaska

A few minutes yoga at Lake Minnewaska @ New Paltz

 

Leave a Comment

QB Tom Brady, 19:17

Today, it has to be the Tampa Bay day. Rays plays at Yankee, and the most anticipated game is Tom Brady (1977-) goes home, to play his New England Patriots. Holy cow.

After 20 seasons (2000-2019) and won six Super Bowl, NEP kicked him away. However, he didn’t want to retire so moved south to Tampa. Unfortunately for the NEP, he won his seventh on his first season with Buccaneers. Can one imagine that feast? Also at old age of 43!

He would have won more but Eli Manning (1981-) took his only two championship away from him. Brade, 6’4″, was drafted in 2000, round 6 (pick 199) while Manning, 6’5″, in 2004 as the #1, drafted by the San Diego but he want to play for NY Giants. Make the story short, he came to New York (2004-19) and won us two super bowl.

🏈 19:17 👏🏻

昨天最期待的赛事是🏈 QB Tom Brady 1⃣️ 四分卫汤姆 布雷迪 (1977-) 打他的老东家the New England Patriots 新英格兰爱国者队.
话说老布效劳新英格兰爱国者队20季(2000-19) 赢了六个超级碗 (价值最高的牛仔队60多年才赢了五个)后, 人老珠黄被踢出局了.
俺倒是觉得从一而终一个球队 是🐂事.
不过老布另有想法. 不甘寂寞+他巴西模特媳妇2⃣️ 也支持, 结果南下 去了佛州Tampa. 小打小闹立马赢了一个超级碗: 新东家的第二个, 他自己的第七个.
哎 有人欢乐有人悲 😵‍💫

小插曲: 老布虽然所向披靡 但是有一个蛮小子是他的克星

俺纽约巨人队四分卫 Eli Manning 3⃣️ 伊莱 蛮宁 (1981-), 赢了二个超级碗. 嗯 猜对了 是硬生生从老布手里抢走的. 还记得布模特老婆发飙爆粗口 草草草的吗?
小蛮的故事也挺多. 他老爸 大哥(也赢了二个超级碗)都是四分卫. 蛮毕业后可是香饽饽, 享受第一个被签走的荣誉. 可惜愣头青蛮小伙不喜欢签他的圣地亚哥队, 一哭二喊三上吊的要来纽约的巨人队. 也是醉. 从2004-19 给了我们二个冠军 嘻嘻 谢谢.

希望老布继续赢 [强]

Leave a Comment

Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays, 1:0


1 E 161 Street
Bronx, NY 10451

My first time to Yankee Stadium, attending the last regular season game against Tampa Bay Rays. It’s a must win for Yanks (92-70), which they did, and meaningless one for Rays (100-62), which is the best in baseball this season (they won AL Pennants last year, 2020). It’s a boring game because only one run scored by the Yanks, which tied them with Boston Red Sox – they’ll play one game to decide the wild card into the playoff. It’s a boring game, only one run scored by the Yanks. We left at the bottom of 7th inning and, then stood to watch a few seconds more when Rays was in the scoring position.

The stadium was built in 2009, costing $2.3 billion ($1.2 b is from public subsidies). The surrounding area is slightly better than Shea/Citifield, but without much potential for betterment, where as Mets @ Flushing, I’m still hopeful that Mets’ could make their home a great place to be.

Our gear arrived in time for the game. We only spotted one couple with Rays caps – we’re in the sea of Yankee fans. The thick and sturdy road side bars are for safety?

   

Babe Ruth (1895-1948) was once a Yankee. What did they do in 1949 and 1961? The street vendors sell water for $2 a bottle. The next generation of baseball players!

 

Forbes ranking rates Dallas Cowboys, NY Yankees and Knicks as the top three most valuable teams ($5+ in billion.

目测 戴养鸡🧢 的中国人多过其它任何一个队 不知道为什么. 最近五年价值最高的职业队是达拉斯的小牛队🏈 养鸡屈居小二, 虽然养鸡赢了27个🥎冠军 牛5才个🏈冠军. 不过鸡队的建队时间比牛长一倍. 挺怀念🐔队的前乔治 Steinbrenner (1930-2010), 和大嘴巴 床铺有一拼.
为了来看这场比赛 特意买了TB的🧢.
七个inning 没有一个run, 🥱

By the way, Tom Brady plays his old New England Patriots

Leave a Comment