The REAL World Championships Started Today

[Wrestleknownothing]

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45864313/ravens-employ-olympian-michael-phelps-teach-swim

I will make the same offer to wrestlers

[Mr. PeanutButter]

1 hour ago, Wrestleknownothing said:

Very cool!

Since it seems like you have the data handy, would it be too big of an ask to see if you could filter and partition the data out into time periods? The world record was at a 1:58 from 1994 until Phelps brought it down to 1:55.9 in 2003. I'm wondering how Leon's big jump compares to Phelps'. My memory is a little hazy from that time but it feels like worlds and Olympics were routinely being won with a 1:58-1:59 and then  Phelps came in with a 1:55 and, eventually, a 1:54. And even after Phelps and Lochte retired it wasn't until very recently that it took more than a 156 to win... Now we have a 152. Crazy crazy crazy 

[BigRedFan]

8 hours ago, GrandOlm said:

It's clear that  the styles and distances either aren't unique enough to require enough specialization

Says someone who has never competed in swimming...

[GrandOlm]

1 hour ago, BigRedFan said:

Says someone who has never competed in swimming...

Well you're wrong because I was on a swim team in my youth for about 3 years. 

Not that it really matters because you couldn't bother to figure out that olympians have been winning multiple medals in the different styles for years.

[Wrestleknownothing]

41 minutes ago, GrandOlm said:

Well you're wrong because I was on a swim team in my youth for about 3 years. 

Not that it really matters because you couldn't bother to figure out that olympians have been winning multiple medals in the different styles for years.

[Pinnacle]

8 hours ago, Wrestleknownothing said:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45864313/ravens-employ-olympian-michael-phelps-teach-swim

I will make the same offer to wrestlers

There is a video of Trent Hidlay swimming two lengths (not sure if total was 50 or 100 yards/meters). He gassed so bad it was funny. 

[Pinnacle]

13 hours ago, ionel said:

Also for speedwalking to be a legitimate sport shouldn't there be a slowwalking sport?  

 

Slow walking IS a sport. Don't believe me at your own risk.

[D3 for LU]

28 minutes ago, Wrestleknownothing said:

But, here's a more "interesting" take of the above...

See Below.

 

... hmmm. Something really freaky is going on here. 

D3

 

[Wrestleknownothing]

8 hours ago, Mr. PeanutButter said:

Very cool!

Since it seems like you have the data handy, would it be too big of an ask to see if you could filter and partition the data out into time periods? The world record was at a 1:58 from 1994 until Phelps brought it down to 1:55.9 in 2003. I'm wondering how Leon's big jump compares to Phelps'. My memory is a little hazy from that time but it feels like worlds and Olympics were routinely being won with a 1:58-1:59 and then  Phelps came in with a 1:55 and, eventually, a 1:54. And even after Phelps and Lochte retired it wasn't until very recently that it took more than a 156 to win... Now we have a 152. Crazy crazy crazy 

While I have the data, that graph came from Swimswam (and I am very jealous, and plan to steal the idea).

Here is what the progression looks like since the first world record in 1956 using the time ratio rather than the raw time.

I also called out the two largest time gaps - from Jani Sievinen to Michael Phelps, and from Ryan Lochte to Leon Marchand.