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Stolen Thunder v. Competition
Posted by: Olympian on Tuesday, October 14, 2003 - 01:30 AM
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STOLEN THUNDER v. COMPETITION
True to form, the 2003 National Swimming championships was not without the usual bout of controversy. One fruitful source of dispute was the issue as to whether unattached BSF members (swimmers not affiliated with a specific club) ought to be permitted to combine to form a relay team.
Proponents in favour of the combined relay teams argued that to allow the combined teams to compete would be to encourage competition. The parties against allowing combined relay teams insisted that the same was contrary to the BSF Competition Rules and as a consequence thereof ought not to be allowed.
In an effort to resolve the dispute the President of the BSF called a meeting and requested the attendance of all registered coaches to vote on the issue. The meeting was held minutes before the start of the first day of competition and it was decided that the combined relay teams would be allowed to swim but for time only (no points or medals were to be awarded).
Firstly, in endeavoring to determine the legality of the decision regard must be had to the BSF National Championship Rules. Based upon my investigations the relevant rules are as follows:
(BSF Rules – 2001 version)
NCR1.1 All competitors registered with the BSF on or before 31st January in each calendar year are eligible to participate in the National Championships, provided they satisfy the other requirements in this Part of these Rules.
NCR2.2 A competitor who has not qualified for any individual events may represent his club or team in relay events for his or her age group provided that competitor (i) satisfies Rule NCR1.1 above; and (ii) has participated in a minimum of three (3) BSF sanctioned competitions since 1st October of each calendar year.
GR3.1 Competitors registered with the BSF may represent a member club or swim as “Unattached” by not representing any club.
Although it is apparent that none of the above rules expressly prohibit the combining of swimmers to make up a relay team, the following propositions may be conclusively inferred from the rules:
1. A competitor must be registered with the BSF in order to compete in the Nationals.
2. A competitor must be registered with a club or registered as “Unattached”.
3. Where a swimmer registers as “Unattached” he does not represent a club.
4. All eligible competitors may represent his/her club or team in relay events.
Based upon the foregoing it is difficult to understand how an “Unattached” swimmer could be permitted to swim on a combined relay team. It is submitted that rule GR3.1 deliberately draws a distinction between representing a club and the concept of being “Unattached”. The fact that Rule NCR2.2 expressly contemplates the relay swimmer representing his club or team is suggestive of the rule makers’ intention for the rule to apply to teams or clubs only. Accordingly, if Rule GR3.1 expressly states that an unattached swimmer does not represent any club then such a swimmer is excluded by NCR2.2 and consequently not eligible to swim.
Furthermore, when one considers the unlikely event of there being more than four unattached swimmers in a single age group it is perhaps likely that the rule making body did not anticipate the possibility of a relay team comprising unattached swimmers and therefore did not intend for the rule to apply to unattached swimmers in the first place. One cannot help but recognize the fact that strictly speaking, the concept of being the “Unattached” was ideally intended to refer to swimmers moving between clubs as opposed to offering an alternative to joining a team.
With regard to the manner in which the dispute was resolved, it is interesting to note that the BSF Rules omit to provide for an emergency procedure for the resolution of disputes concerning the interpretation of the federation’s rules, something the BSF would be well served to implement.
Notwithstanding the above and regardless of whether or not the decision was properly made, the decision at first glance appears to be fair, with all swimmers, in the interest of competition, being allowed to swim and only those teams falling squarely within the rules allowed to compete for points.
However, the true purpose for writing this article and hence the title - Stolen Thunder v. Competition, was to address the fact that somewhere amidst all the arguments an important issue may have been overlooked. Little if any consideration was given to the potential effect of the decision upon those less talented swimmers inadvertently deprived of their opportunity to bask in the limelight – essentially stealing their thunder.
Let me explain, it can hardly be disputed that the Bahamas National Swimming Championships is the fasted and most prestigious annual swimming event in the country. With the exception of the few coaches preparing swimmers for up coming international competitions, most if not all coaches design their training programs so that their swimmers are in peak condition for the Nationals.
Correspondingly most swimmers (with the exception of those selected to represent The Bahamas internationally) generally view the National Swimming Championships as the climax of the swimming year. For some it is a chance to capture the Age Group High Point Award or the Individual Best Swim Award, while for others the Nationals are a chance to test their mettle against the very best competition in the Bahamas.
In years gone by a portion of the finals was televised locally and boasted the attendance of numerous government officials and political figures thereby affording competitors an opportunity to showcase their talents before a wide local audience.
For the coaches, preparing for the Nationals is a very tactical exercise. Pursuant to Rule NCR1.1 each coach is able to determine every opposing team’s roster so that by the time the Nationals roll around he or she is able to put together the best possible team to score the maximum number of points. Furthermore, where there are insufficient swimmers in a particular age group to make up a relay team, Rule NCR2.2 allows the coach to select eligible swimmers to fill the gaps.
For the kid who failed to make an individual qualifying time but was selected to swim on a relay team with a chance to finish first, a chance to wave at the camera on the biggest stage of Bahamas swimming. Who cares whether or not you get the points and whether it was a good race. What about that child’s chance to touch the wall first at the fastest swimming event in the country when all The Bahamas is watching?!? Would a sports fisherman be happy if instead of going fishing he was given 2 blue marlins? Of course not. Why dash the fragile hopes of a child at the biggest national meet of the year.
It has often been said, with reference to the Olympic Games, that the meaning of perseverance and achievement is best understood not by watching the victor of the race but by considering the experience of the competitor in lane eight struggling to finish.
Lets face it folks, in order to maintain the credibility of the sport we must insist on the strict application of the Competition Rules, in particular at The Bahamas National Swimming Championships. It is, in my view, inappropriate to allow unorthodox or irregular competition tactics at the most prestigious meet in the country. It not only reflects poorly on those seeking to employ same but also jeopardizes the credibility of the sport and those charged with its regulation.
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