Would we see better Olympic racing if they alternated between Swimming and T&F and made them both 2 weeks long?

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6 years ago 06/23/2017 6:03pm EDT

I am sure there is a simple logistical reason for this, but I never understood why they cram the entire swimming program into Week 1 and the entire Track and Field program into Week 2.

Wouldn't we see better performances if they made each program 2 weeks long and made every other day a rest day? Would that encourage less "sit-n-kicking" and more folks to run hard from the gun if competitors knew they would have more time to recover?

(I really don't care about swimming, but I figured that one of the arguments would be that every other night, swimming and track would conflict, making it hard on spectators and volunteers alike, so I figure let them alternate nights...)

Thoughts?

6 years ago 06/23/2017 6:20pm EDT

re: thejeff

I like the idea but doubt it will happen.

6 years ago 06/23/2017 8:48pm EDT

re: thejeff

I have wondered the same thing. Wasn't there a thread on this a while back?

6 years ago 06/24/2017 5:40am EDT

re: thejeff

"Would that encourage less "sit-n-kicking" and more folks to run hard from the gun if competitors knew they would have more time to recover? "

No. The same chickensh^t approach to being afraid to go out hard and risk blowing up, combined with the delusion everyone seems to have that the best kickers won't win most every time in a sit and kick race, would still mean a bunch of boring sit and kick races.

6 years ago 06/24/2017 11:07am EDT

re: thejeff

Placing swim & dive on equal footing with track & field would only be acceptable in the bourgeois nations. There are 75 plus nations that do not care about swim & dive.

Track & field athletes have made comments over the years regarding how tough is the compressed schedule. Athletes brag about racing three 800s over four days. Three 800s over four days or three 800s over five days is a true test.

No change.

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Would we see better Olympic racing if they alternated between Swimming and T&F and made them both 2 weeks long?

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