Do they have timing mats to make sure you don't cheat on the relays or is it like the shuttle hurdles in track where everyone can and does cheat?
Do they have timing mats to make sure you don't cheat on the relays or is it like the shuttle hurdles in track where everyone can and does cheat?
They gave officials.
I think they have automatic timing at the highest level, but at lower levels, yeah, it's dodgy.http://swimming.about.com/od/swimmingolympics/a/olympicswimbasi_2.htm
Relays begin the same way as individual races, with the swimmer on the starting block (freestyle) or in the water holding the hand grips (backstroke swimmer in the medley relay). The subsequent swimmers all start from the starting block and may be moving or use a "rolling" start. As long as some portion of the swimmer is contacting the starting block when the swimmer finishing touches the wall, the start is legal. This used to be judged visually, but now the automatic timing system normally fills this role, with a tolerance of .04 seconds
The athletes practice relay starts a ton. (There are relays all through club, scholastic and NCAA swimming so the swimmers have been doing relay starts for years). They have officials watching every exchange (lane judges) and video replay if there is a question. People do go early and get DQ'd from time to time, but it's an age grouper error for the most part. You would rather give up a few hundredths vs get your team tossed.
Cameras and officials
SeriousIy? wrote:
They gave officials.
A little gold pin in the shape of a Rufous-bellied thrush?
A bunch of flowers made up of Tecoma chrysostricha?
Box lunches?
rojo wrote:
Do they have timing mats to make sure you don't cheat on the relays or is it like the shuttle hurdles in track where everyone can and does cheat?
Seems to me there is advanced technology timing on the end side of the pool where the finishing swimmer touches and there is equally advanced technology on the starting blocks which record when the swimmer actually takes off and I assume the two should match up.
I’d hate to be the swimmer that got my team disqualified by taking off too early.
They should swim with a baton and pass it to the next swimmer just like track. Next swimmer should have the baton in hand before jumping or DQ. Only the lead leg should use the starting block since it's too high for a handoff.