The Best?
Rome's final tally: 42 world records including the final-final event the men's 4X100 medley relay which the Americans destroy by two-seconds and four teams under the standard set at the Beijing Olympics. From January 1, the rubber condom no more. And the damage? It may take 20 years to catch up to today, if ever. These are athletes who may be at the very peak of human capability unlike, say, the Montreal Olympics in '76 where 14 World Records set. 33 years ago new training principals coming into practice and stroke technique considered seriously for the first time. Today, these advances embedded so now most time-improvements from drugs (East Germany in the 1980s) or height -Michael Gross, Matt Biondi or Ian Thorp or body-freaks: Mary T. Maher, Michael Phelps. And the suit trumps them all. Once pools crackled when a WR broken and now it is ho-hum. Nobody really believes the seal-skinned times, and as Phelps coach Bob Bowman says, no ten year old motivated by these athletes who most likely will fade with their suits.
Maegher, pictured, swam the 200 meter butterfly so fast that it stuck for 19 years (there was talk it might never be broken but that absurd). In August, 1981 she cranked a 2.05.96 which Susie O'neil bettered in Sidney in 2000. Maegher's 100 meter fly equally impressive - 57.93, which Stanford legend Jenny Thompson broke (also) in 2000. To put this in perspective, the 100m fly WR finally broken this week in Rome by nearly 1.5 seconds thanks to the suit LZR Racer (who cares about the swimmer - but it is Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden, all of 15). Since Maegher, the only athletic equivalent I consider on par is Paula Radcliffe's 2:15.25 London Marathon in 2003. No other women has gone under 2:19 (Flo-Jo changed the record books with her '88 Olympics but she was way juiced and sadly died, aged 38). I think we are going to see Usain Bolt do some things that will stick around for a half-generation. His 9.683 at Beijing slow since he hammed up the last ten meters; experts believe he could have gone 9.52 (I avoid team sports for the Michael Jordon - Scottie Pippen conundrum. MJ the greatest but would he have been as good without Scottie?). Lance Armstrong also makes a case as does Roger Federa but theirs longevity against various skilled competitors. For raw effort, I rank Maegher up there with the best. Ian Thorp would have been, but he is totally erased and Phelps? His eight golds and WR hard to argue but 19 years? Really, though, whatever - these are the people who make life interesting.
Rowdy Gaines points out every swimming World Record, with the exclusion of the 1500 meter freestyle, set from 2008.
