Olympic swimming shouldn't deserve so many medals

[RottenWillow]

swimming is pretty much exactly like track/field in this topic.

not every swimmer does butterfly, not every swimmer does back stroke, not every swimmer does breast stroke. very different techniques.

Exactly, techniques. Different techniques to perform the same athletic feat, swimming. There are similarities between T&F and swimming certainly, but I see more differientiation between the T&F events. Hurdles requires a pretty different skillset from Long Jump, and Discus throwers aren't runners. Marathoners aren't sprinters. Some are pretty close, like Discus and Javelin, but those are only in the games anyway b/c they were ancient Olympic events. I don't think either, certainly not both, would be in the modern games if they weren't traditional.

 

[JumpBallWinner]

Water polo is in the olympics, I was watching it earlier while at the gym.

 

[billfred]

I find it akward that in swimming there is a medal placing in so many different categories, lenths and strokes, yet it's all obviously going to be the best swimmer that wins about everytime.

There should only be one olympic medal for all the strokes and one medal for the diff lengths and just have it how gymnastics has it. You don't see gymnast teams getting medals for every high bar, parallel bars, rings etc. It's all accumulated points at the end

Same thing goes especially for all the different swimming relay categories, it's all basically the same swimming team just with a changed stroke! That's like giving Team USA basketball a medals for games they are only aloud to shoot left handed, only aloud to shoot right handed games, only aloud to layup games, only dunking games, only freethrow games, only 3pt shot games, etc. You think they won't still win all of those?

Go swim all those strokes at different distances and see if you think they are all the same.

That is like saying there shouldn't be a 400m and a 800m in track - they are the same. Or there shouldn't be a 400m run and a 400m hurdle - they are all the same.

Really - totally ignorant post IMHO

 

[RottenWillow]

Go swim all those strokes at different distances and see if you think they are all the same.

That is like saying there shouldn't be a 400m and a 800m in track - they are the same. Or there shouldn't be a 400m run and a 400m hurdle - they are all the same.

Really - totally ignorant post IMHO

I don't think he said there shouldn't be different distances, just not different events for every swimming technique.

 

[billfred]

I don't think he said there shouldn't be different distances, just not different events for every swimming technique.

Hmmmm... let's check. Here is the qoute

I find it akward that in swimming there is a medal placing in so many different categories, lenths and strokes, yet it's all obviously going to be the best swimmer that wins about everytime.

Nope - that is what he said.

 

[needtogetarmy]

I think track and field has too many medals too. All they do is run in circles. 100m, 200m, 150m hurdles and so on.

I think they should have just one event, like hot dog eating. That way the fat and lazy will not be discriminated.

 

[ponyfitness]

Um, I think that the debate should not be over events, but over the equipment enhancements that they get to give them an advantage. Those new skinsuits are causing every world record to be broken. Personally I'm totally suspicious of all of it because I think Phelps is doing way more than just wearing a fancier suit.

Track athletes can't wear better clothes to make them faster (except shoes). Gymnasts can't do anything. Swimming is the only place where they get this advantage. So why do they allow it?

 

[c0tt0n m0uth]

swimmers get medals handed out like candy in the olympics, 102 between men and women to be exact, this is not a myth

track n field is the closest comparison but pretty far off still, yes the distance changes but you don't see runners get handed medals for the 200 backwards run, the 200 sprint, the 200 skip, the 200 hop, the 200 shuffle, the 200 cartwheel, the 200 summersalt, then 4 different distances in all of those events and then a team relay for each of those events in 2-4 different distances. Hurdles, that's about it.

 

[nimbus]

i agree with the OP!

 

[Kangazoo]

The Old Grump was a competitive swimmer/ocean life guard back in the day. He told me that his coach always put him in the events he hated most.. LOL and couldn't figure it out till recently. The coach made the decision based on his genetics and ability.

Swimming is a bitch. Anyone who thinks it isn't a sport needsta try to swim a lap without feeling like they are going to die.

Exactly!

I bet most of the members on this board couldnt swim a lap without doggypaddleing the finish. Take in mind, they are swimming in a 50 METER pool, 99.9% pools in the gyms/ymcas you are all accustomed to are 25YARDS, less than half the distance. Try swimming in an olympic pool and then tell me they don't deserve these medals. swimmers are unbelievable athletes, same as track and field. it takes a diff training/genetics to run the 100 or the mile in track, same goes with swimming the 50m freestyle, or the 400 IM. people think bc they can float they can swim and thus its easy. so in that fashion, if i can stand i must be able to run the 40 dash in sub 4sec.