England team

[Steve]

The England team has been announced as follows with 42 swimmers plus 5 EAD competitors; I had a suspicion that the slightly vague selection crtieria would allow plenty of swimmers with no QT or win at the trials to be selected..:rolleyes:

Zoe Baker, City of Sheffield
Janine Belton, Loughborough University
David Bennett, Beckenham
Ros Brett, Loughborough University
Nathalie Brown, Boro of Southend
Simon Burnett, Wycombe District
Rebecca Cooke, City of Glasgow
Chris Cozens, Loughborough University
Heidi Earp, Nova Centurion
Kathryn Evans, Nova Centurion
Joanna Fargus, University of Bath
Adam Faulkner, Nova Centurion
Mark Foster, University of Bath
Holly Fox, City of Glasgow
Robin Francis, University of Bath
James Gibson, Loughborough University
James Goddard, Stockport Metro
Martin Harris, Tower Hamlets
Kate Haywood, Lincoln Vulcans
James Hickman, City of Leeds
Anthony Howard, Horwich
Matt Kidd, Leatherhead
Jaime King, University of Bath
Georgina Lee, Camp Hill Edwardians
Karen Legg, Ferndown Otters
Melanie Marshall, Loughborough University
Darren Mew, University of Bath
Simon Militis, Portsmouth Northsea
Joanne Mullins, Orpington Ojays
Steve Parry, City of Manchester Aquatics
Margaretha Pedder, Portsmouth Northsea
Karen Pickering, Ipswich
Sarah Price, Barnet Copthall
Adam Ruckwood, City of Birmingham
Jamie Salter, City of Edinburgh
Caroline Saxby, Durham University Aquatics
Katy Sexton, Portsmouth Northsea
Caroline Smart, Portsmouth Northsea
Stuart Trees, City of Leeds
Adrian Turner, City of Salford
Sarah Whewell, City of Newcastle
Adam Whitehead, City of Coventry


Elite Athletes with a Disability

Sarah Bailey S10, City of Salford
Elaine Barrett S11, Out to Swim
James Crisp S9, Nova Centurion
Darren Leach S7, MAQN/MPLN
Matthew Walker, RTW Monson

[Steve]

This is the bit I mean:

from the selection policy
2.3 Priority Three
Where places allow, the first (if not previously selected under 2.1), second and
third placed eligible English swimmer of every event at the Trials may be
selected, based on current Commonwealth Rankings. In the event of a tie, the
FINA international point score for that performance will determine the priority.


i.e. if you don't make the QT at the trials but are ranked OK you'll get a place anyway.

I thought we were supposed to be giving our swimmers experience of having to perform on the day - talk about a cop out. Of course I think that we should take a big team as it is a home games, but what was the point in making a big song and dance about having to perform at the trials if it really didn't matter?

[outside smoker]

If they are going to relax/bend/exploit the rules then they should give serious consideration to having a secondary selection at the Grand Prix Meets at Glasgow to allow the likes of Nicola Jackson to get in. An International Meet without her on the team is a disaster. She made the final at the worlds and led off the gold medal winning relay in Japan and yet 2 ropey swims in the 200 free and 100 fly at the trials may have sabotaged her season. Do we really have so many world-class swimmers that we can do without her?
I know the selection policy is meant to toughen the swimmers up etc etc BUT we are not USA and we do NOT have the depth that means we can replace like with like should something unexpected happen at trials.
Last year the selection policy was somewhat amended after trials allowing swimmers to qualify for 2nd swims on a slightly relaxed standard. What about something to allow the likes of Jackon, Ed Sinclair (what happened there?) and the rest to get in? There are up to 3 spots per event remember.

[lane4]

But the 3 spots in Jackson's main events have all been filled already. You cannot tell someone they have made the team at the Trials for an individual spot and then kick them out again if someone else improves their time at a later date.

Swimming is a tough sport. It is not going to do anyone any favours to say to Jackson, "oh well nevermind the fact that you could not perform on the day we wanted you to perform, we will give you another chance, maybe a few more chances, to make the team because we like the potential that you might have."

Swimmers have to learn to perform on the day that a performance is needed. If Jackson and her coach(es) adopt the correct approach she will come back a better and stronger swimmer from this situation as it must surely teach her (and her coach(es)) some harsh realities of the sport.

When it comes to the 2004 Olympics (the only meet that really counts according to our NPD) it will be on the day or nothing. Our depth, or lack of, will count for -273 celcius then. Jackson will be better off focussing on the 2004 Games than this year's Commy Games as she should truely be able to make a big name for herself there if her preparation is conducted appropriately.

[Chris]

I've got to agree with lane4 (never thought I'd hear myself saying that ;) )

If you're gonna have a competition that was designed for the selection of a team, the swimmers have to perform at that meet. They might be injured/tired/grumpy/whatever at these trials and accordingly they fail to make the team, but that's just unfortunate.

They have known for a long time what the criteria for selection was, and they should learn to live with that.

That doesn't mean I'm a big fan of the all-or-nothing selection method. I would prefer to see a selection cut-off date (preferably not too long before the competition in question) which gives all swimmers the chance to reach the necessary standard.

[swimusa]

If you guys relax the rules so Nicola can hop on board, what precedence will that send to future selection. From what I've read, Bill Sweetingham (sp?) isn't the type to budge. Besides, what happened to Nicola happened to Jenny Thompson in 1996, when we hosted the Olympics. She had off swims in the finals, in the 50, 100, 200 Free and 100 Fly and had to settle for relays (by placing top 8 at Olympic trials). Nicola is young, and will have future Commonwealth and Olympics to swim in.