What the fish can teach us landlubbers
If you ever get depressed at the backward state of masters track, push the forward button to USA Masters Swimming. These folks have their shinola together. Of course, they have demographic advantage, since masters swimming starts at age 25 (or 19, depending on the source). But they still go into their 90s, and their rules are athlete-centric. I’ve been singing their praises for ages.
While browsing their site, I came across their interesting way of configuring relays.
From the FINA rules site (the international governing body):
MSW 1 Age Groups
MSW 1.1 Individual Events: 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85-89, 90-94 … (five year age groups as high as is necessary).
MSW 1.2 Relays: To be conducted on the total age of team members in whole years. Age groups of relay events are as follows: 100 – 119, 120 – 159, 160 – 199, 200 – 239, 240 – 279, 280 -319, 320 – 359, and …(forty year increments as high as is necessary).
So under USMS/FINA rules, your relay can have a ringer as long as it also includes an offsetting geezer. For example, a team in the 200-239 age group would average 50 to just under 55. But you could have a 25-year-old as long as he/she were balanced by a bunch of 60-year-olds or a single 75-year-old.
How cool is that?
I see some advantages here.
It’s easier to put relays together.
It gets the generations to work together.
It makes for some potentially exciting finishes.
USATF and WMA masters muckymucks would do well to think outside the track. The pool is a great source of fresh (and refreshing) ideas.
