Splash - May/June 2013 - (Page 12)

TWiTTER FEED STARTINg BlOCKS 10 9 8 7 ToPTEN TWEETs ERIC SHANTEAU @Shanteau Always great when swimming is on the top 10 RT @Sprintsalo: #uscswimming and #vlad make number 9 on espn sports center! NATHAN ADRIAN @Nathangadrian A kid next to me has been playing minecraft on an ipad for hours! I don’t understand the appeal... Back in my day we had legos!! CHLOE SUTTON @csutswim Hour and a half long quality main set today. My entire body shook the whole time... I’d say that makes it a great practice :) ANNIE CHANDLER @annie_channie Wishing my @MattGrevers a glorious wknd full of goodlooking bros in Vegas! As long as you’re still a bachelor upon your return, I’m happy;) 5 ERIC SHANTEAU @Shanteau 49.5 100 breast split, again another barrier that seemed unbreakable. That’s why I said what I did this AM. Most exciting meet #NCAA2013 Will WE EvER sEE A 16-point 50-yard FREEsTYlE? POINT: BELIEVE IT OR NOT: wE wILL. Last March at the NCAA Championships, Vlad Morozov swam a 50 freestyle relay split that most of us never imagined we’d see in our lifetimes: 17.86. The time was a breakthrough, literally and metaphorically. It broke the 18-second barrier. But it also broke our imaginations: Could we one day see a 17-second flat start? And furthermore: Could we one day see 16-second 50 freestyle, relay split or otherwise? History dictates that times drop. That’s not rocket science. But how low can we go? Certainly at some point, we will reach a time when athletes cannot drop lower. Right? But where is that low point? If you asked me ten years ago if we’d see a 17-point 50 freestyle, I would have told you, “No.” Now, we’re almost eight-tenths away from a 16-point relay split. Sounds insane. But we could see it. When Fred Bousquet became the first person under 19-seconds, it was a huge deal. Eight years SPLASH • May/June 2013 4 3 2 1 KATIE LEDECKY @katieledecky Looking forward to being Division Marshall at DC St. Patty’s Day Parade on Sunday! At Irish Embassy this evening-- pic.twitter.com/ HF0P4Xr6fn PoiNT/CoUNTERPoiNT 12 6 BOB BOWMAN @coach_bowman It’s so interesting to watch the first session of NCAAs. You can figure out about 90% of how the meet will turn out. #startfast #NCAA2013 BRENDAN HANSEN @BrendanHansen Coming to the realization that there is fast breaststroke then there’s @ KwCordes fast. #sick DAVID MARSH @dmswimmac The hours before the first race at NCAA’s is some of the most exciting for the swimmers and always the worst for the coaches--stay cool guys RACHEL BOOTSMA @r_bootsma15 I still get nervous watching the replay of women’s NCAAs on tv even though I already know what happens By Mike Gustafson ago, he went 18.74 – a time that shattered Tom Jager’s 15-year standing record of 19.05. But more so, it was a mental barrier broken. This year alone, two swimmers went 18-point with a flat start, and a slew of others 18-points in relay starts. It’s not an impossible time anymore. It’s certainly rare and noteworthy, but not impossible. Morozov’s 17.86 relay split proves that there is still time to be dropped. We continue to lower the bar. Yes, at some point, we will reach a time that is impossible to lower. But I believe that, in my lifetime, I will see a 16-point relay split. COUNTERPOINT: 17-POINT IS AS LOw AS wE’LL gO. I hear what you are saying: We keep dropping time. We’ll continue to drop time. But that doesn’t mean in 50 years from now, swimmers will be dropping 13 seconds in a 50 freestyle. It won’t happen because it’s physically impossible. I believe 17-point is the fastest we’ll ever see in relay splits. I’m not even sure we’ll ever see a 17-point flat start. Yes, breaking the 19-second barrier eight years ago was a huge accomplishment. Yes, we’ve seen a 17.86 relay split. But let’s remem- ber that 23 years ago, Tom Jager went 19.05. If he had a perfect relay start and dive, he could have pushed the 18-lows in a relay split. And the jump from 18-low to a 17-high in 23 years isn’t impossible-sounding. But to further drop another nine-tenths of a second is just too much. The leap from 17.86 to 16.99 is not feasible the same way transitioning from a 40-point in the 100 freestyle to something like a 37-point is not feasible. Unless someone is born who is 9 feet tall with size 25 feet, I’m not sure we’ll see a 16-second 50 freestyle in a relay. If you had asked me if I would have predicted a 17-point relay split, I would have said, “No.” But upon reflection, it’s not that impossible. We’ve seen people flirting around the 19.0 or 18-high for years. With an excellent relay exchange and dive – which Morozov had – the17-point became a reality. In truth, Nathan Adrian nearly went 17-point a few years ago at NCAAs. The credit goes to Morozov. He did something no one else has done. But a 16-point 50 freestyle? No. Not going to happen. I don’t want to burst bubbles, but that isn’t humanly possible. NOw: PROVE ME wRONg agree? Disagree? tell mike on twitter: @mikeLGustafson http://pic.twitter.com/HF0P4X6fn http://pic.twitter.com/HF0P4X6fn https://www.twitter.com/mikelgustafson

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Splash - May/June 2013

Splash - May/June 2013
Table of Contents
Mike Gustafson
Swim Briefs/Justin Case
Top Ten Tweets/Point-Counterpoint
Strength and Conditioning: You don’t know Squat!
Nutrition: What to Eat Before, During and After a Workout
Mental Training: Quick Tips for Addressing Your Mental Concerns
Training With
Athletic Foodie
Your Photo
Lessons from the Masters
Nathan Adrian
Tyler Clary
Missy Franklin
Matt Grevers
Katie Ledecky
Ryan Lochte
Allison Schmitt
Rebecca Soni
Dana Vollmer
Interactive
Best Race Ever
Swim Nut Zeke
Five Songs
Getting To Know
America’s Swim Team Athletes

Splash - May/June 2013