Over the years, I’ve done a couple of posts regarding International parity in the world of swimming. With the Tokyo Olympics over, I’ve analyzed the competition and compared it to Rio 2016 and a random selection of World Championships between 1973 and 2019. So the big question here: Are just a few countries dominating swimming?… Continue reading Swimming has a Serious Parity Problem
Tag: swimming australia
We Need COVID-19 Reporting by Sport
We’ve seen an unending stream of statistics regarding COVID-19 cases, deaths, recoveries, etc., all sorted by geographical area. This data can be incredibly useful when used by authorities for making larger social decisions. Low community rates may indicate it’s safe to open up, while spiking community rates may point to increased restrictions. However, we generally… Continue reading We Need COVID-19 Reporting by Sport
My Thoughts on Australian Swimming
Before I get into this, I want to make it clear that I'm writing this because of my love for Australian swimming. Ever since I swam in Canada in the 70s, I've been impressed with the brash way that such a small population base could take on the US swimming juggernaut, and often win. In… Continue reading My Thoughts on Australian Swimming
A Curious Look at 2017 Short Course – Long Course Conversion Rates, And How The US Is So Different From Everyone Else
In 2014 I started getting upset with the standard 2% Short Course to Long Course conversion rates mandated by Swim Ontario. As most coaches already knew, 2% was convenient but horribly inaccurate conversion rate. And it created problems for kids swimming in LC meets when they couldn't meet their 2% converted SC time, even if… Continue reading A Curious Look at 2017 Short Course – Long Course Conversion Rates, And How The US Is So Different From Everyone Else
Inclusive or Exclusive: The Surprising Ways Countries Handle National Championships/Trials
When I started this post, it had a completely different focus. Four times I tried to address various aspects of Short Course vs Long Course swimming from the point of view of swimmers and national swimming organizations. And every time I ended up in the same place - that different countries handle Long Course in… Continue reading Inclusive or Exclusive: The Surprising Ways Countries Handle National Championships/Trials
Swimming By The Numbers: How Strong is the US Olympic Team?
There's no question that the US Swimming Olympic Trials is one of the most exciting swim meets on the planet. The depth of talent, and the fierce competition between truly world class swimmers is staggering. Add to that the heartbreak of watching previous champions miss the team, and the sheer joy of watching new Olympians… Continue reading Swimming By The Numbers: How Strong is the US Olympic Team?
Olympic Expectations versus Goals: How Australia, Britain and Japan Play This Game
A few years ago I wrote about the incredible difference in impact on an athlete between having an expectation, and setting a goal (see here). Setting and working toward an achievable goal can be a powerful tool for an athlete, and often involves milestones along the way. On the flip side, an individual's expectations for… Continue reading Olympic Expectations versus Goals: How Australia, Britain and Japan Play This Game
Swimming By The Numbers: Age Analysis of Olympic Trials for 6 Countries
It's been a little while since I've done a Swimming By the Numbers blog post, and the recent Canadian Olympic Trials sparked an idea. We had incredibly strong performances from the women, and NOT incredibly strong performances from the men. A lot of theories were thrown around, one being that we are abandoning our older… Continue reading Swimming By The Numbers: Age Analysis of Olympic Trials for 6 Countries
Swimming’s Incredibly Backward Approach to Sports Nutrition
I'll start off right away by saying that I'm not a nutritionist, dietician or an expert in food in any sense other than I've been eating my whole life. Clearly that is NOT enough to make my nutrition opinions count. That's why we have a team sports nutritionist. And to tell the truth, our team… Continue reading Swimming’s Incredibly Backward Approach to Sports Nutrition
How Hard Should We Push our Young Swimmers?
How many hours of training should we put our youngest swimmers through? How intense should training be? When should we ask them to give up other sports and specialize in swimming? These are questions that have been around for a long, long time. And while the swimming world claims to divided on this topic, in… Continue reading How Hard Should We Push our Young Swimmers?
Coach Rick - Mighty Tritons Swimming 