The Race Is On

As I discussed here, the NCAA swimming season is soon upon us.  Correction: is already upon us.

Today, the Women's Division I NCAA Swimming Championship meet began.  Psyche sheets were published yesterday, here.  On reading them, I predicted that Kara Lynn Joyce would be setting a new NCAA record in the 50 yard freestyle.  Bingo: KLJ went 21.63, wiping Maritza Correia's 21.69 from the record books.  Ms Joyce had gone 21.70 in the SEC championship meet, so I was fairly safe in predicting this.

Complete, up to date results here.  If I got any of this on TV, I'd be glued to the set.

Figuratively, I mean.

Update: Day 2 psyche sheets here.  Not how strong Auburn is in the 400 IM: they've got three swimmers in the top six.  Predictions: Kara Lynn Joyce has a fair shot at the 200 free record (although she'd have to drop nearly a second to do so).  I don't think Auburn's got the raw speed talent to break the 200 Medley Relay record this year.  I think Summer Sanders' 14-year-old 400 IM record will survive this year's assault, as will all of Natalie Coughlin's records (save possibly the 200 free, as noted above).  We'll see the pool record get broken in several events, but I think the odds of more than one (if that, even) NCAA records getting broken today are very low.  Helpful link to the records book here (just look at it: Natalie has six individual NCAA records.  Just hang out with that for a bit.  Then read this.); it hasn't been updated since yesterday.

Comments

[GreginOz]

We've currently got the Commonwealth games on in Melbourne, Oz. It's like the Olympics with a 1/3 of the countries. Here, however, and in most of the world we swim 50 METRE races, not 50 yards. One wonders how relevant are records comparisons between The States and the rest of the world. I mean, c'mon, ever heard of a 50 CUBIT race? A 200 EL race?

[liberal japonicus]

Not as a comment on the Commonwealth Games, but did you know that there is a Games for the Small States of Europe? I found out about it in this enjoyable article about travel writing (and Andorra)

[M. Scott Eiland]

Here, however, and in most of the world we swim 50 METRE races, not 50 yards. One wonders how relevant are records comparisons between The States and the rest of the world.

It's not that big of a difference--a meter is less than 10% longer than a yard, which is not enough to really change the nature of the individual races. During what may have been the greatest hour of any track and field athlete ever, Jesse Owens was credited with simultaneous records in the shorter distances of 200 meters when he set world records in the 220 yard dash and the 220 yard low hurdles on May 25th, 1935 (which--given that he set a world record in the long jump that very hour which stood for 26 years--was not his most impressive accomplishment of the day). In any event, whether the sport involved is swimming or track and field, training on yard-measured tracks or pools hasn't kept US athletes from winning more than their share of medals in international events conducted under the meter standard.

[Slartibartfast]

I'd say that the Aussies have earned more than their share of the glory as well, Scott. Out of 17 individual world records in swimming, Australia owns four (LCM) to the USA's eight on the men's side, where on the women's board it's four and four. SCM it's six to six on the men's side and one to eight on the women's.

[Slartibartfast]

Note that this post has been updated. Further update: Auburn took the top three spots in the 400 IM in prelims.

[Anarch]

Nifty. And thanks for the updates.

[M. Scott Eiland]

I'd say that the Aussies have earned more than their share of the glory as well, Scott.

No argument there. Googling "Dawn Fraser," "Shane Gould," and "Ian Thorpe" alone will leave the reader buried in a pile of gold medals, and the Aussies have had many, many other world class swimmers both before and after the heydays of those three.