[BEIJING 08]
[By Janet Evans, Yahoo Sports]
Here are a few things to look for in what should be a sensational Olympic swimming competition in Beijing:
No one will be able to watch the swimming competition at the Beijing Games without having an opinion about Speedo’s new swimsuit, the LZR Racer. Developed with the help of NASA scientists, the full-body suit minimizes drag, allowing anyone wearing it to swim faster. Thirty-eight world records have been broken by swimmers wearing it this year alone. It has proven to be so necessary to an athlete’s success that many swimmers have broken their contractual agreements to swim in the Speedo suit.
Speedo’s mission in designing the suit was to add core stability – something which is important to a swimmer to keep them afloat but generally is not the job of a swimsuit. Athletes speak of not feeling tired when wearing the suit. This is due to the fact that the stability built into the suit helps their hips stay high throughout the race, keeping the swimmer in a streamlined and ultimately better position for fast swimming.
Swimming purists believe that the swimsuit taints our sport. Others, including myself, believe that it is part of a natural progression within our sport. The Speedo suit, the LZR Racer, is really no different. During my span of three Olympic Games, we always had a better and faster suit with each successive Olympics. In fact, I predict that by the 2012 Olympics, there will be an even better swimsuit.
While my 800-meter world record will most likely be broken in Beijing – thanks in part to the LZR Racer – I believe that the suit is a great advancement for swimming. It brings our sport interest, excitement and fast times – and that’s certainly nothing to complain about.
WHY THE BEST SWIMMER MAY NOT WIN:
You will frequently hear announcers use the word “taper” in discussing a swimmer’s preparation for the games. A taper is a training technique of raising or lowering one’s workload depending on the proximity to the event, and it’s one of the most important concepts a swimmer must master for success.
Swimmers train heavily. At my peak, I was swimming upwards of 18,000 meters a day, which is the equivalent of twelve miles. In addition, I would run three miles a day and lift weights for an hour. But a few weeks before a major competition, I would begin to lighten my training, swimming 10 miles one week, eight miles the next, then six, until I reached about a mile in the pool – with no running or weight lifting – a few days before my meet.
While it sounds simple, tapering is actually quite complicated. The point is to rest your muscles as the event draws near to gain the “easy speed” that allows you to stay high in the water while swimming fast for the duration of the race. But there are two ways to “miss” your taper – over-tapering or under-tapering. To under-taper means that you haven’t given your body enough rest, meaning you feel sore and tired during your swims – almost like you’re still swimming twelve miles a day. To over-taper means that you’ve rested too much, leading to a loss of endurance, which is critical for a swimmer to finish their race. When you hit your taper, you have reached the perfect balance of rest, speed, and endurance.
At the U.S. Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb., Michael Phelps and Kate Ziegler didn’t taper for the meet. They were good enough to make the team with their bodies in a tired state. But since the trials are so competitive, the majority of the team did taper, which left them in a quandary after the trials: Do they stay tapered for the Olympics, keeping their mileage low, or do they bring their mileage up and back down in the five weeks before the games? The former risks being over-tapered while the latter risks the dreaded under-taper. A number of countries – most notably Australia – held their trials this spring, allowing their swimmers the chance to resume normal training and head into the Olympics with a traditional five-to-six week taper. At my best Olympics – the 1988 Games – we had six weeks between our trials and the Olympics. Needless to say, I managed to hit my taper in Seoul. Let’s hope that our team can do the same in Beijing - Janet Evan, Yahoo Sports
[By Janet Evans, Yahoo Sports]
Here are a few things to look for in what should be a sensational Olympic swimming competition in Beijing:
No one will be able to watch the swimming competition at the Beijing Games without having an opinion about Speedo’s new swimsuit, the LZR Racer. Developed with the help of NASA scientists, the full-body suit minimizes drag, allowing anyone wearing it to swim faster. Thirty-eight world records have been broken by swimmers wearing it this year alone. It has proven to be so necessary to an athlete’s success that many swimmers have broken their contractual agreements to swim in the Speedo suit.
Speedo’s mission in designing the suit was to add core stability – something which is important to a swimmer to keep them afloat but generally is not the job of a swimsuit. Athletes speak of not feeling tired when wearing the suit. This is due to the fact that the stability built into the suit helps their hips stay high throughout the race, keeping the swimmer in a streamlined and ultimately better position for fast swimming.
Swimming purists believe that the swimsuit taints our sport. Others, including myself, believe that it is part of a natural progression within our sport. The Speedo suit, the LZR Racer, is really no different. During my span of three Olympic Games, we always had a better and faster suit with each successive Olympics. In fact, I predict that by the 2012 Olympics, there will be an even better swimsuit.
While my 800-meter world record will most likely be broken in Beijing – thanks in part to the LZR Racer – I believe that the suit is a great advancement for swimming. It brings our sport interest, excitement and fast times – and that’s certainly nothing to complain about.
WHY THE BEST SWIMMER MAY NOT WIN:
You will frequently hear announcers use the word “taper” in discussing a swimmer’s preparation for the games. A taper is a training technique of raising or lowering one’s workload depending on the proximity to the event, and it’s one of the most important concepts a swimmer must master for success.
Swimmers train heavily. At my peak, I was swimming upwards of 18,000 meters a day, which is the equivalent of twelve miles. In addition, I would run three miles a day and lift weights for an hour. But a few weeks before a major competition, I would begin to lighten my training, swimming 10 miles one week, eight miles the next, then six, until I reached about a mile in the pool – with no running or weight lifting – a few days before my meet.
While it sounds simple, tapering is actually quite complicated. The point is to rest your muscles as the event draws near to gain the “easy speed” that allows you to stay high in the water while swimming fast for the duration of the race. But there are two ways to “miss” your taper – over-tapering or under-tapering. To under-taper means that you haven’t given your body enough rest, meaning you feel sore and tired during your swims – almost like you’re still swimming twelve miles a day. To over-taper means that you’ve rested too much, leading to a loss of endurance, which is critical for a swimmer to finish their race. When you hit your taper, you have reached the perfect balance of rest, speed, and endurance.
At the U.S. Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb., Michael Phelps and Kate Ziegler didn’t taper for the meet. They were good enough to make the team with their bodies in a tired state. But since the trials are so competitive, the majority of the team did taper, which left them in a quandary after the trials: Do they stay tapered for the Olympics, keeping their mileage low, or do they bring their mileage up and back down in the five weeks before the games? The former risks being over-tapered while the latter risks the dreaded under-taper. A number of countries – most notably Australia – held their trials this spring, allowing their swimmers the chance to resume normal training and head into the Olympics with a traditional five-to-six week taper. At my best Olympics – the 1988 Games – we had six weeks between our trials and the Olympics. Needless to say, I managed to hit my taper in Seoul. Let’s hope that our team can do the same in Beijing - Janet Evan, Yahoo Sports