monty wrote:
the relays in swimming mean that you can come in 3rd in most events but still make the olympic team and likely still get medals. // You need to just stop talking about swimming like you have some sort of knowledge about it. Of all the swimming events, there are exactly "2" where you can get third and go to the games, the 100/200 free, period. For the medley relay you have to win the trails, sometimes the 2nd place person will get to swim a prelim, but of course they were already going because of that 2nd.
And you don't have to go back 20 or more years, like i said, Lochte and Phelps have swept as well as our backstrokers, with our 3rd person in definite position to win the bronze. This has been an ongoing thing since the beginning of swimming for the US. We were sweeping in the 1920's, and continued to do so until they made the 2 only rule..
really? so should we just pretend that matt mclean was 3rd in the 2012 OTs when he came in 5th in the 200 free but is walking around today with an olympic gold medal for swimming 1 prelim heat in the 4x200? should we also pretend that davis tarwater didn't come in SEVENTH in the 200 free at the OTs but also is walking around today with an olympic gold medal for swimming 1 prelim heat in the 4x200? also, i will remind you that those 2 relays are exactly 2 more relays that don't exist in triathlon for someone not in the top 2 so that is a big deal.
now your assertions are getting more and more dubious. having our 3rd person "in definite position to win the bronze" is in no way, shape or form as having the 1-2-3 ranked swimmers in the world. for someone who claims to know so much about swimming, i do find it odd that you still haven't cited a single example but have stuck to broad generalizations. so which event in which year was the american swimmer the 3rd best swimmer in the world who was relegated to watching the olympics on tv? it very well may have happened but when you act all high and mighty about swimming and don't even know that the 6th and 7th finishers in the 100/200 free can make the olympic team and still haven't given an actual example, you don't get the benefit of the doubt anymore. even if it has happened, it still is extraordinary, which was what my original point was.