A Voice from the Past | Rules Changes | 2001 LC Nationals | Etiquette
St. Nicholas Invitational | Romanian Pool Project
Form for submitting FINA World Records in butterfly events
A VOICE FROM THE PAST
Bob Beach has kindly donated a large folder of clippings which shall be included in the next several newsletters. For those of you who are fairly new to Masters swimming, perhaps this will give you an idea of how Masters swimming evolved. The following article appeared in the St. Petersburg FL Evening Independent on Saturday, November 14, 1970.
"Plans were made Friday morning for a Southern Regional Masters swimming Championship meet March 29-30. The two-day meet will be in conjunction with Festival of States activities, according to Circuit Court Judge Robert Beach.
"Beach, an excellent swimmer, became interested some time ago in an article written by US. Navy Capt. Ransom J. Arthur, M.D., on swimming and cardiovascular fitness in the older age group. Dr. Arthur is the commanding officer of the Navy Medical Neuropsychiatric Research Unit in San Diego and coach of the U.S. Naval Training Center Swimming Team there. Judge Beach began a correspondence with the naval officer which included a picture of the North Shore Swimming pool. He indicated an interest in promoting competitive swimming for those over 40 in this area. The correspondence culminated in the visit this week of Dr. Arthur, with Dr. Richard Rahe, a commander in the same unit working on the biochemical aspects of stress. The two men met through their military service, work together and -- swim together.
"As a psychiatrist, Dr. Arthur became interested in he effects of stress on the heart. 'Incidents in people's lives can cause incidents of stress of various kinds. These incidents can affect the mind as well as the heart.' He began to notice the effects of swimming on both older persons and on mental patients (patients from a nearby mental hospital were brought down to swim). 'Anxiety and depression appeared to be released by swimming.'
"He admits frankly he doesn't know why medically, 'It could be a humoral effect. But this is just moonshine speculation. I'm interested in promoting physical fitness at all levels of life because I believe regular exercise has some influence on the prevention of heart attacks. Attacks are extremely common in America and Western Europe, particularly among youngish men. Many of the attacks are fatal. And I feel that swimming is a particularly good program from a longitudinal viewpoint to cut down on cardiovascular attacks.'
"He began to work out the problem, 'How does one motivate into exercise that is longitudinal -- three months won't last for 20 years!' He came to the conclusion that competition could give goals in a physical fitness program. "Heart attacks are often the fate of highly competitive people.' These would be the people who would take to swimming competition.
"He began to discuss his ideas with John Spannuth, aquatics administrator for the National AAU and president of the American Swimming Coaches Association (of which Dr. Arthur is a member) who became enthusiastic. The result was the first annual National Masters Swimming Championships in May in Texas, for men and women with 25 the minimum age.
"Dr. Rahe explains that at the meet in Amarillo, a volunteer group agreed to blood pressure tests and electric cardiographs and the competitions had absolutely no ill effects. The second national meet next May in Amarillo will be expanded to include regional meets before the national meet. These would be under the auspices of local swimming groups -- and this is where St. Petersburg will fit into the picture.
"Last May's meet included swimmers up to 58 years old. Dr. Arthur points out that a swimming program among older people must be approached slowly -- 'I'm absolutely opposed to programs of immediate hard work. This is dangerous. But if they take it slowly and stick with it, they'll find they are swimming well and in good time. It is like any medicine -- any drug -- the prescription must be individualized.'
"Says Dr. Arthur, 'Judge Beach's letters to me showed such clarity and such force that it made me feel he could do the job in placing a regional meet here. That's why we came on down while on this trip to Duke University.'
"The meet next spring will be for both men and women in age groups of 25-34, 35-44, and 45 and over. They will include all four swimming strokes and relays. Dr. Rahe reiterated that competition is the motivational spur as a means to make people swim harder -- to take physical fitness seriously and to stick to it."
Thus began the first St. Pete Masters Southern Regional Championship Meet -- and this past spring, St. Pete Masters held its 31st annual short course championship meet -- the longest, continuous running Masters meet in the world.
Rules Changes
During the FINA World Championships, they enacted several changes to the technical rules of swimming which USA_Swimming, in turn, enacted on September 14, 2001 to become effective on September 20, 2001. Therefore, in accordance with 601.4.5B, the USMS rules of competition are also changed as of that date.
These changes are permissive relative to our current rules. Therefore anyone following our current rules will continue to be legal under the new rules. (You will have received separate action with respect to FINA's changing the butterfly rules.) The changes include:
Allowing the elbows to be above the surface of the water on the final stroke prior to the turn, during the turn and at the finish. Previously, only the last stroke prior to the finish could have the elbows above the water.
During the butterfly swim, the swimmer must be on the breast. Previously, the swimmers shoulders also needed to be in line with the surface of the water.
A backstroke swimmer may be submerged at the finish of the race.
Below is a copy of the USMS rules which reflect these changes.
101.2 BREASTSTROKE
101.2.1--Start
The forward start shall be used.
101.2.2--Stroke
From the beginning of the first arm stroke after the start and after each turn, the body shall be kept on the breast. The arms shall move simultaneously and in the same horizontal plane without any alternating movement. The hands shall be pushed forward together from the breast on, under, or over the water. The elbows shall be under the water except for the final stroke before the turn, during the turn and the last stroke at the finish of the prescribed distance. The hands shall be brought back on or under the surface of the water. The hands shall not be brought beyond the hip line, except during the first stroke after the start and each turn. Some part of the swimmer's head shall break the surface of the water at least once during each complete cycle of one arm stroke and one leg kick, in that order, except after the start and each turn the swimmer may take one arm stroke completely back to the legs and one leg kick while wholly submerged. The head must break the surface of the water before the hands turn inward at the widest part of the second stroke.
101.2.3--Kick
All vertical and lateral movements of the legs shall be simultaneous. The feet must be turned outward during the propulsive part of the kick movement. A scissors, flutter, or downward butterfly kick is not permitted. Breaking the surface with the feet shall not merit disqualification unless followed by a downward butterfly kick.
101.2.4--Turns
At each turn, the touch shall be made with both hands simultaneously at, above, or below the water surface. The head may be submerged after the last arm pull prior to the touch, provided it breaks the surface of the water at some point during any part of the last complete or incomplete stroke cycle preceding the touch. Once a touch has been made, the swimmer may turn in any manner desired. The shoulders must be at or past the vertical toward the breast when the swimmer leaves the wall and the form prescribed in article 101.2.2 must be attained from the beginning of the first arm stroke.
101.2.5--Finish
At the finish, the body shall be on the breast and the touch shall be made with both hands at, above, or below the water surface. The head may be submerged after the last arm pull prior to the touch, provided it breaks the surface of the water at some point during any part of the last complete or incomplete stroke cycle preceding the touch.
101.3 BUTTERFLY
101.3.1--Start
The forward start shall be used.
101.3.2--Stroke
After the start and after each turn, the swimmer's shoulders must be at or past the vertical toward the breast. The swimmer is permitted one or more leg kicks, but only one arm pull under water, which must bring the swimmer to the surface. (Note: after the start and after each turn, only one breaststroke kick is allowed prior to the arm pull that brings the swimmer to the surface.) It shall be permissible for a swimmer to be completely submerged for a distance of not more than 15 meters (16.4 yards) after the start and after each turn. By that point, the head must have broken the surface. The swimmer must remain on the surface until the next turn or finish. From the beginning of the first arm pull, the body shall be kept on the breast. Both arms must be brought forward over the water and pulled back simultaneously.
101.3.3--Kick
All up and down movements of the legs and feet must be simultaneous. The position of the legs or the feet need not be on the same level, but they shall not alternate in relation to each other. The breaststroke or whip kick may be used exclusively or interchangeably with the dolphin kick while doing the butterfly stroke at any time during the race. However, when the breaststroke or whip kick is used, the arms must be recovered over the top of the water with each breaststroke or whip kick, except after the last such kick before the turn or finish. A scissors kicking movement is not permitted.
101.3.4--Turns
At each turn the body shall be on the breast. The touch shall be made with both hands simultaneously at, above, or below the water surface. Once a touch has been made, the swimmer may turn in any manner desired. The shoulders must be at or past the vertical toward the breast when the swimmer leaves the wall.
101.3.5--Finish
At the finish, the body shall be on the breast and the touch shall be made with both hands simultaneously at, above, or below the water surface.
101.4 BACKSTROKE
101.4.1--Start
The backstroke start shall be used.
101.4.2--Stroke
Standing in or on the gutter or curling the toes over the lip of the gutter immediately after the start is not permitted. The swimmer shall push off on the back and continue swimming on the back throughout the race. Some part of the swimmer must break the surface of the water throughout the race, except it shall be permissible for the swimmer to be completely submerged during the turn, at the finish and for a distance of not more than 15 meters (16.4 yards) after the start and after each turn. By that point, the head must have broken the surface of the water.
101.4.3--Turns
Upon completion of each length, some part of the swimmer must touch the wall. During the turn the shoulders may turn past the vertical toward the breast, after which a continuous single arm pull or a continuous simultaneous double arm pull may be used to execute the turn. Once the body has left the position on the back, any kick or arm pull must be part of the continuous turning action. The swimmer must have returned to a position on the back upon leaving the wall.
Note: The swimmer who turns past vertical and, in a continuous motion, grabs the wall before pushing off with the feet while on the back is considered to have executed a "continuous turning action."
101.4.4--Finish
Upon the finish of the race, the swimmer must touch the wall while on the back. The body may be submerged at the touch.
Six women representing GOLD COAST MASTERS won the Small Team Division at the 2001 United States Masters Swimming National Long Course Championships in Federal Way WAY August 16-19.
Winning all six of her events was June Krauser, breaking World Records in all six. Tracie Moll won all four of her events. Debbie Cavanaugh, Celia Devanney, Debra Riker, and Anne LaBorwit all placed high in their events and were on winning relay teams making all six women National Champions!
Seven men represented Gold Coast Masters with Cav Cavanaugh winning all four of his events and breaking one World Record. Ned Smith won three events, George Schmidt won 2 events, and Alan Rapperport won one event. Jeff Gill, Bill Korey, and Jerry Greenberg all placed in their events.
Four men combined to win the 240-279 Free Relay in World Record time -- Cavanaugh, Schmidt, Rapperport, and Greenberg. The other World Record broken by GCM was a 200-239 Mixed Free Relay with Cavanaugh, Greenberg, Moll and Riker.
Other first place relays were the 160-199 Women's 200 Medley Relay with Moll, Riker, Cavanaugh and Devanney and the 280-319 Mixed Free Relay with Krauser, LaBorwit, Rapperport and Smith.
I receive numerous complaints from swimmers about our local meets.
Some complain there is no hot water in the showers. Some complain there are no lockers for their gear. Some complain that there are no awards. Some complain that the pool is too hot, or too cold. Some complain about the day the meet is run. Some complain that the meet was set with little notice. Some complain that the meet start time is too early, or way too late. Some just complain to complain!
I could go on and on with the complaints, and let me tell you, I think I have heard them all. Maybe I have even complained.
The point of all this is for Masters swimmers to remember that we are an organization of volunteers. Nobody gets paid! The people who run our meets do this for us! They do the best job that they can and in return, we should not complain, but say...
"Thank you for having us! Your volunteers did a great job!"
ST. NICHOLAS INVITATIONAL
The first annual St. Nicholas Invitational will commence on December 8-9 at the brand new Mountain View Aquatic Center in Marietta GA. This meet will be sponsored by the Georgia Killer Whales, co-hosted this year also by the Atlanta Rainbow Trout. This is a beautiful indoor 50m facility, brand new in 2000 -- plenty of parking, good locker rooms, bleachers -- great location for a meet. We hope to be able to have the course set up in SCM, our preference, but have to wait to see if it can be set up that way. It will be SCM or SCY. We hope to see this grow into a big regional meet, as St. Pat has over the years, and would love to invite swimmers throughout the Dixie Zone to attend. Contact Lisa Watson for any questions.
Romanian pool project report from Prof. Iancu, vice president of Technical University of CLUJ-NAPOCA, is that ongoing work is aimed at a late fall finish. His fax thanks all who have helped. 60% of our funds were used to buy and deliver 20 automatic shower controls and valves. Ongoing need for financial help must proceed. Our bank account still needs help so you who only thought about it can now make a most welcome donation. $20 figures add up nicely. Same address: Frank H. Tillotson, 2494 13th Avenue N 46, St. Petersburg FL 33713. Just add TU-C to my name. The account is no charge courtesy United Bank, St. Pete.