National Championships 2012

[awaldram]

Originally Posted by Steve

Although I could have sworn that Budapest swim in 06 won silver...

Practice makes perfect

[chris_lamb]

Originally Posted by awaldram

Winners are trained and don't just appear, training involves experience of competing at the level you wish to succeed at.

Not necessarily. There is plenty of evidence of those without Olympic experience winning Olympic medals.

And there is a counter argument that real medal contenders aren't going to be struggling to be in the top two in the country. You need to make sure the medal contenders are pushed hard or it's all too easy for them to take the easy route of just qualifying.

[awaldram]

Originally Posted by chris_lamb

Not necessarily. There is plenty of evidence of those without Olympic experience winning Olympic medals.

Were have a said anything different to that.??

I said you have to have competed and lost at similar level meets before you experienced enough to win at that level.

I then gave examples of just such experience Rebecca Addlington had prior to her 2008 gold.

Originally Posted by chris_lamb

And there is a counter argument that real medal contenders aren't going to be struggling to be in the top two in the country. You need to make sure the medal contenders are pushed hard or it's all too easy for them to take the easy route of just qualifying.

Isn't that what I said ??
Not sure how being fina top 16 is somehow lacking and undeserving but hey maybe it is.

[selkie]

Originally Posted by chris_lamb

And there is a counter argument that real medal contenders aren't going to be struggling to be in the top two in the country. You need to make sure the medal contenders are pushed hard or it's all too easy for them to take the easy route of just qualifying.

It depends on the swimmer and the country. Jessica Hardy has the #3 time in the world in the 100 breast this year, and couldn't qualify out of her own nation's Olympic Trials. Same goes for Tyler Clary in the 400 IM, an event where he was a WC medalist last year. And Eric Shanteau only reinvented himself as a breaststroker when he got sick of a #3 world ranking in the 200 IM not getting him a space for the International A meets.