Let me start with this: These are gut-reaction thoughts I had while watching this video and they are not fully formed. That’s why I’m asking for your feedback, swimmers and swammers: I’d love to hear what you think about these ideas.
We saw a swimmer end up in the wrong lane at the 2024 Polish Nationals in the women’s 200 IM final, so that for the last 100 meters, they swam the race in the same lane. This brought up two questions for me.
1. is the crossover turn effective?
We already know that the back-to-breast turn in an Individual Medley is problematic. there are tons of controversial DQs on a global scale as a result of the crossover turn, as recently as last summer at the 2023 World Championships. But to see it be so disorienting that a swimmer in an Olympic Qualification meet ends up in the wrong lane crosses a line for me.
I’m tempted to say people should be allowed to finish on their stomach in the backstroke leg of an IM. Would it really be that big of a deal if people could take one freestyle stroke than do a backstroke flipturn like they do in a backstroke race? It seems a lot more straightforward and consistent than the current format.
It seems like the current rules “keep the event pure” but aren’t exceedingly practical. Is there something I’m not seeing here?
2. Would swimming in other lanes during a race add a fun level of depth in races?
I know this is wayyy more out there than number 1. But… it could be fun.
In my brain, I’m thinking you allow swimmers to go into other lanes during the race *without* touching other swimmers AND under the condition that they’d have to finish in their assigned lane. It would add so many variables. You could get out in front and give someone a draft. You could get out in front and try to wake someone else. You could purposefully get behind to draft off of someone. Or you could just screw with your competition.
Again, I don’t think this is particularly practical. But in certain settings, like maybe a college dual meet, it seems like it could add a lot of parity, which swimming seems to be moving towards.
Also there’s a Masters meet in Oregon that does an “in-the-pool open water” swim. They take the lane lines out of the 50 meter pool and set up buoys to create a 100m loop and you swim 12 loops for a 1.2km race. It’s pretty awesome.
We did this at a Masters workout last year. It was a lot of fun, and the coaches provided tips for open water races.
I had not done an open water swim in about 35 years, so it took some time to get used to swimming so close to others.
they should be able to fall into a finished racer’s lane, as long as the finished racer does not protest this action. END OF STORY. Otherwise, no, you should not be able to be in the same lane as someone that is still swimming.
Please no changing lanes in breastroke or fly… that’d be a nightmare… I already take up a whole lane already I cannot imagine racing someone in it too
What if….like speed skating. You also have “short course”? 3 new Events. We take out the lane ropes, set up buoys, and swim around the track. We can debate lengths but I’m saying 200, 500 and a 1000. Then we can all share a lane. (Yes, fouls will be called.)
I’ve always thought this would be a fun event. You can only pull on people’s ankles, but at your own risk of someone passing you while you do it.
If you choose to do a crossover turn instead of an open turn then you bear the risk of DQ or getting disoriented. Open turns can be just as fast, plus you get more oxygen. Summer McIntosh won two golds at the Commonwealth Games with open turns.
Ummm no?
But more to the point, while the crossover turn may be slightly impractical for the listed reasons, it’s hard to deny that is just feels nice to land a clean crossover turn. There isn’t many badass parts of swimming (unless your name is Gary Hall Jr), but something feels kinda badass about a nice crossover.
Is this just me?
Nailing a good turn feels badass. Nailing a good crossover feels even more badass.
It’s part of the ‘game’ that kids want to master while stsrting with turns and passing from the basics to expert so yes… a badass moment and under your own risk to do it until you’re comfortable with.
It should be mandatory to swim at least one stroke in each lane. Then finish back in your assigned lane.
That would be like 7th grade cotillion when I’d look at my watch and know it was the last dance. I’d take any means necessary to steer that girl as close to the exit as possible so we’d be first to leave.
No. If only for the likelihood of concussions. The chances of being inadvertently (or deliberately) kicked in the head by the competitor in front would be very high.