masters swimming complaining about triathletes filling events (Page 2)

Is this a bad thing?  If I can't swim fast enough to earn a spot then I don't get in. I will have to find another meet that I can qualify for.  Why shouldn't any swimmer with the best qualifying time get in just because they are a triathlete?  If this or any other race takes all comers based solely on first-come first-served with limited spots the issue is not with the tri team, its with the race organizers.

Besides, if demand is so high I find it difficult to think that void will not be picked up by someone. 

Sorry...double post. 

Some of us grew up in those kids swim meets (myself included)... and I agree with your post. But that doesn't give people a license to be a jerk, in or out of the pool. Which is what I think some of the crazy threads are about. Some.

Good to know the expert has chimed in and we can shut this discussion down.

With regards to your first couple of questions...what if the WTC adopted this strategy do their IM signups for races that sell out quickly?  Have registration to races like IMFL, IMAZ, IMLP, IMWI, etc open for 3 months.  Then just send an email out to the top 2500 athletes with the best qualifying times.

Sure, it's okay to have some events require qualifying times, but if you do this for every event, you're going to shut out a large portion of your customer base that is obviously enthusiastic to participate if they are willing to sign up so early. 

With regards to the bolded...I agree.  If race organizers are going to set up registration as first come first serve...then don't blame the people signing up early. 

To your last statement, I also agree...if the demand for events that require qualifying times was in such great demand, then you'd likely see more of them. 

This is actually how it works (at least here in PA) for HS swimming in County and District Championship meets.  There are anticipated qualifying times published at the beginning of the season, but they are only estimated.  In the end, only the fastest x number of times in each event gets to swim.  This coming weekend is the York-Adams County Championships for the team I coach, and the psych sheets were only posted online this past Friday.

I agree this is fine for any kind of championship that wants to be taken seriously but that it's not a good thing for qualifying events.

It's a brave, new world. Adapt or drown.

Reading through the USMS mission statement, goals and objectives and vision, it looks like they're not able to keep up. Does USMS have any competition that can pick up the slack or do they have it too easy?

There were no qualifying times for this meet. it was first sign up. Times were only requested for seeding.

Your last statement is probably quite true.  But many swimmers tend to behave that way as well. It's awfully ironic too, considering that in competition triathletes swim in the most chaotic type of swimming possible. In fact, it's probably one of the most chaotic forms of any competition. There are no guides, short of buoys that are difficult to see. Virtually no rules and aside from equipment, most of them would be impossible to enforce since you can't see whats going on for 90% of most athletes.  Yet we get into a pool and we require a 10 foot bubble around us at all times.  I used to be a in the pool, but have calmed down once I realized that I was being a in the pool.  The only time i get annoyed is if the person who wants to share with me needs to have a conversation about their intent.  I usually wave if i see them, make eye contact or do something so they know I've seen them.  

Funniest thing I saw was a woman, who seemed to have a similar temperament as me, acknowledged the guys presence, but he needed vocal cofirmation, and after a couple laps of standing there, in the pool, he actually grabbed her ankle to stop her and ask.  I've never seen someone yell at someone else in the pool so loudly. It was hilarious!

From what I read on the thread it sounds like they're not willing to spend the time and money in order to verify "documented qualifying times" for each of the participants. 

I don't know much about master's swimming but they are saying it is an "East Coast Championship". How does the championship not require qualifying times? To me it sounds like a open meet that was handled as first come first serve.

I don't know much about master's swimming but they are saying it is an "East Coast Championship". How does the championship not require qualifying times? To me it sounds like a open meet that was handled as first come first serve.

What type of qualifying times would you suggest for IM Melbourne, IM Germany, IM Mont Tremblant, New Zealand 70.3, Panama City 70.3, and St George 70.3?  As it stands now, all of these events are labled as "Championship" but have no qualifying standards.

Sub-10 full; sub-5 half.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but pro spots for the events I mentioned do not have a qualifying standard.  You simply need your pro card.  Some events may only attract a pro field of 10 men and 8 women...while these "championship" events may attract 35 men and 24 women due to a bigger prize purse.  Our famous friend Lance Armstrong raced in Panama City as his first pro triathlon race.

FWIW That was not his first pro triathlon. He turned pro at 16 and was the national sprint coursechampion at 18 and 19. He switched to pro cycling around 21 or 22.  Didn't he also race in an xterra triathlon race in 2011 while Panama was in 2012?

You do need to qualify to hold an elite card. I have not researched it but he might of been able to keep it active for 20 years? Prior to 2005 elite status was lifelong in 2005 the rules changed that you need to qualify every 3 years. I don't know if they grandfathered in the elites prior to 2005. If not he would have needed to qualify as an elite at an earlier race. If he raced some as an age grouper he could have qualified.

http://www.usatriathlon.org/membership-services/elite-membership/qualification.aspx