SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side, or you can find the poll embedded at the bottom of this post.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers if they were disappointed at so many big names skipping the 2016 Short Course World Championships:
RESULTS
Question: Are you disappointed so many Olympic champions are skipping short course Worlds?
- Yes – 43.0%
- No – 57.0%
Though only 4 of 21 individual Rio Olympic gold medalists competed at the Short Course World Championships in Windsor, Canada, a majority of SwimSwam voters said they weren’t disappointed in the Windsor starting fields.
Over 200 more total votes went to “no,” with fans saying they weren’t disappointed in the absence of so many Olympic champions. Perhaps that says something about the expectations for many Olympic champs to continue competing after Rio. A number of key Olympic golds went to athletes who were expected to retire or take a lengthy break after Rio. Most notable in that list are Michael Phelps, Maya DiRado and Anthony Ervin.
Still, too, a large number of Olympic champs are skipping Short Course Worlds because they are competing in the college ranks. For American swim fans (who still make up a majority of SwimSwam readership, though maybe not as large a majority as you might guess), seeing an Olympic champ compete in short course yards with a top-tier college programs is equally exciting – if not more exciting – than seeing them swim in a short course meters event internationally. That group would include Ryan Murphy, Joseph Schooling, Simone Manuel, and Katie Ledecky.
Here’s a look at the individual Rio Olympic champs who were and weren’t competing in Windsor:
In:
- Gregorio Paltrinieri, Italy
- Penny Oleksiak, Canada
- Katinka Hosszu, Hungary
- Lilly King, USA
Out:
- Anthony Ervin, USA
- Kyle Chalmers, Australia
- Sun Yang, China
- Mack Horton, Australia
- Ryan Murphy, USA
- Adam Peaty, Great Britain
- Dmitriy Balandin, Kazakhstan
- Joseph Schooling, Singapore
- Michael Phelps, USA
- Kosuke Hagino, Japan
- Pernille Blume, Denmark
- Simone Manuel, USA
- Katie Ledecky, USA
- Maya DiRado, USA
- Rie Kaneto, Japan
- Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden
- Mireia Belmonte Garcia, Spain
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks voters to pick the most impressive feat of Short Course Worlds:
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The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner
If it’s wasn’t for money it would be perfect to only have SC Worlds every fourth year, the year without LC Worlds and Olympics(i.e. 2014, 2018 etc.). I think that would add some further prestige to the event and make it more of a showcase. There should only be one global event per year, let the continental events be the fillers beyond that.
BELMONTE DID NOT SKIP THE WORLDS. SHE EVEN TRIED TO SWIM THE 200 FLY BUT FINISHED 19TH AND SCRATCHED FROM THE REST OF THE MEET. PROBABLY GOT SICK!!!!
Quite a few never compete(d) in SC. I missed the most Peaty and Sjostrom, however fully agree that we could see a nice load of pretty good races. My favourite was the women’s 100 fly on the last day.