YAOT

[spacejamz]

how do they determine who gets to swim in each lane...is this method the same for the qualifying heats versus the semi and final rounds?

also, are the middle lanes better to be in than the outside lanes? if so, why?

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Lanes are determined by qualifying times. Fastest gets lane 5. 2nd is lane 4, 3rd is lane 6, then 3-7-2-8-1 (I think). It's to put the fastest swimmers together in the middle of the pool so they're together and it's easier to watch the race. There's no advantage to the middle lanes, the water isn't faster, it's for spectator convenience only.

 

[booger711]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
Lanes are determined by qualifying times. Fastest gets lane 5. 2nd is lane 4, 3rd is lane 6, then 3-7-2-8-1 (I think). It's to put the fastest swimmers together in the middle of the pool so they're together and it's easier to watch the race. There's no advantage to the middle lanes, the water isn't faster, it's for spectator convenience only.

sounds right. there is supposedly a bit more turbulence in the water in lanes near the walls, but these olympic pools are pretty darn good at supressing that (i swam competitively all thru hs).

 

[memo]

Originally posted by: booger711

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
Lanes are determined by qualifying times. Fastest gets lane 5. 2nd is lane 4, 3rd is lane 6, then 3-7-2-8-1 (I think). It's to put the fastest swimmers together in the middle of the pool so they're together and it's easier to watch the race. There's no advantage to the middle lanes, the water isn't faster, it's for spectator convenience only.

sounds right. there is supposedly a bit more turbulence in the water in lanes near the walls, but these olympic pools are pretty darn good at supressing that (i swam competitively all thru hs).

yeah i always though it was to supress the tubulence, because those WR differences could be in the hundreths. i wonder what type of technolgy the olympic pools use to cancel out the waves

 

[cronos]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
Lanes are determined by qualifying times. Fastest gets lane 5. 2nd is lane 4, 3rd is lane 6, then 3-7-2-8-1 (I think). It's to put the fastest swimmers together in the middle of the pool so they're together and it's easier to watch the race. There's no advantage to the middle lanes, the water isn't faster, it's for spectator convenience only.

that's the answer.

on a related note, i think we need an olympic sticky.

 

[Jzero]

I decided in my many years of competitive swimming that the perception of turbulance in the outer lanes comes mainly from the fact that the fastest-seeded swimmers are probably ahead of you, and thus you are swimming in their wakes.

 

[booger711]

there's also a psychological factor to being in the middle lanes. you can see mostly all of your competition as well.

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: booger711
there's also a psychological factor to being in the middle lanes. you can see mostly all of your competition as well.

You shouldn't be able to see them seeing as they should be behind you, and if you are looking back, they are about to catch up!

 

[booger711]

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: booger711
there's also a psychological factor to being in the middle lanes. you can see mostly all of your competition as well.

You shouldn't be able to see them seeing as they should be behind you, and if you are looking back, they are about to catch up!

not necessarily. you can see more than you think you can. also if your comp is trailing you can see where they are when doing a flip turn

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: booger711

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: booger711
there's also a psychological factor to being in the middle lanes. you can see mostly all of your competition as well.

You shouldn't be able to see them seeing as they should be behind you, and if you are looking back, they are about to catch up!

not necessarily. you can see more than you think you can. also if your comp is trailing you can see where they are when doing a flip turn

I guess I was just too busy plowing ahead to worry about looking for my competitors. The goal was to swim as fast as I possibly could, regardless of where everyone else was. Looking around just breaks your concentration and slows you down.

 

[booger711]

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: booger711

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: booger711
there's also a psychological factor to being in the middle lanes. you can see mostly all of your competition as well.

You shouldn't be able to see them seeing as they should be behind you, and if you are looking back, they are about to catch up!

not necessarily. you can see more than you think you can. also if your comp is trailing you can see where they are when doing a flip turn

I guess I was just too busy plowing ahead to worry about looking for my competitors. The goal was to swim as fast as I possibly could, regardless of where everyone else was. Looking around just breaks your concentration and slows you down.

ever swim long distance? for some swimmers, it helps to be chased, so they like to stay in the lead. for others they like chasing others, so they wait till the opportune moment to pass.