runner38 wrote:
OPs question was stated in a bit of an exaggeration but lack of tactics in swimming is a huge factor. Swimmers do go all out in heats. In t&f sprints, 100 & 200, one often looks around with about 25m to go; 400m with 50m to go. In swimming, goggles usually fog up and sometimes goggles fill with water. You do have to agree swimmers go all out in heats and track athletes often do not go all out in heats.
How many world records were set in swimming heats? One? Not a factor.