Poolside Chat: parents of competitive swimmers

[2ducksandI]

Seems I managed to fill the other thread with talk of taking fridges to away galas! And I didnt even mean a fridge I meant an electric cool box So I've started another thread. Hope you all find it.

Similarly we run our meets out of Ponds and marshalling the 50s is no fun 🥵especially the later (faster) heats

Marshalling always seems to be like herding cats, I have no idea how you can keep your patience with swimmers that don't appear because they've not bothered to tell their coaches they've withdrawn or the last minute vanishing ones!

Funnily enough at british I joked I wasn't sure I could walk up and down the pool as quick as the older swimmers were swimming 🤣🤣

Especially heat after heat in those starched white trousers!

My favourite is when the little ones new to it get really confused when you ask their name (having given it to the previous Marshall's) like they think we should know who they are 🤣🤣

I also love it when doing timekeeping and just before they race and you check their name they confirm what race they are actually doing and how many lengths it is!!!!

The little ones new to it are definitely my favourite. All excited and innocent but without a clue what's actually going on 🫣🤣

When I was judging I always checked with the little ones that they knew what they were swimming and how many lengths they were doing. TBF, our referees were always good with the little swimmers.

Marshalling older swimmers at big meets could be stressful too as they were good at drifting in at the last moment, all nonchalant.

Loved Adam Peatys interview after the 50m breast.

I also think he's really shown the past few days how much pressure he's felt to make times. He kept saying "the times wasn't the best but who cares"

Showing that in that race touching the wall counted.

He also took accountability for what he said yesterday. Fair play.

I hope after a few weeks off he comes back and his MH is taken care of appropriately too. He's the best breast stroker ever. Nothing will change that.

^The little ones new to it are definitely my favourite. All excited and innocent but without a clue what's actually going on*

until they turn onto their front for the backstroke to breastroke turn or finish the breaststroke with 1 hand. It’s horrid having to dq them.

And yes, Peaty was amazing.

TBH I think really successful sports people are driven and competitive. So I don’t really judge re outbursts/ media presentation etc that much (well within reason). Everyone has darker aspects to their personalities.

I had one a couple of weeks ago where we didn't think the swimmer would even make 25m of the 100m fly LC. Bit by bit he confounded expectations and just managed to keep going legally until the last stroke where he got to the end and promptly did an underwater forward stroke...

I had to DQ my own DS on fly once for non simultaneous arms - he never really cracked fly. I didn’t tell him it was me though, I told him it was the referee instead.

Well it was the referee wasn’t it? Technically at least 😬

Yes, technically … it was me that put the report in though.

I still remember the referee that also coached and wouldn’t DQ one of her own swimmers at a home meet - stroke (me) put in a report for something really obvious and she wouldn’t accept it, and then both turn judges put in reports for the same thing and she finally had to agree.

I remember the first time I did turns for breast stroke at an open meet.

Brilliant young 10yo breast stroker. Smashing the field like they had a rocket up them. 200m breast SC.

Last turn - probably so distracted by the cheering they did that very obvious touch of the wall the younger swimmers do - with 1 hand 🤦‍♀️

I hated having to Dq but you just have to.

What was the men's 4x100 relay like last night? I was shouting at my screen!!!

It was brilliant racing

Loved it!!!

I love watching racing like that!

Was brilliant watching finals like that at British!

So much better live but we brought a 50" tv yesterday which did enhance the enjoyment.

(We didn't buy it for the games specifically )

We're away so I had to steam on the iPad. Absolutely brilliant of Tom Dean to hold off Kyle Chalmers like that, I honestly thought Chalmers had gone past but to reclaim by 0.08 seconds was brilliant

I thought Kyle Chalmers had it too - so close but sooooo good

So did I!!!!!

I suspect Tom Dean's height and reach clinched it as Chalmers had to do that extra stroke at the end. Fantastic race and good to see them all shaking hands etc afterwards.

Britain have a strong team currently (more so the men). Not only in their swimming ability but their relationship with each other that means as a team they perform well and as team mates they push each other.

I was also so pleased for Willy they won gold despite not having Peaty on the team.

Peaty at full fitness that race would have been won by 1-2 seconds.

Does someone want to start a new thread?

Ready for holiday rest and ready for next season!!!

I can't link to new threads as use the app.

Btw the way hello my dad is involved in national open water now!

They were on the London Roar team for the ISL so probably know each other quite well.

There were a number of Australian swimmers on the London Roar team I think.

London Roar was pretty much Team GB and Team Oz. Hopefully there will be a new season this year

@itsgettingweird fabulous I hope he has a good day out in Rotherham. Apparently water levels are quite low at the lake so I'm crossing my fingers for rain even more now than I was before 🙈

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/extracurricularr_activities/4604958-httpswwwmumsnetcomtalkextra-curricular-activities4455473-poolside-chat-parents-of-competitive-swimmers