French Olympic Team training observations

[CoachJohnB]

Originally Posted by swimust

So what was I saying before the 100 individual final?..
I said that Agnel would have never beaten Adrian in the relay..
I guess that unlike what ian mac is saying, I do know something about swimming...

You fail to take one important detail into account. If the relay is anchored by Adrain, someone else must lead-off. Adrain led-off with a :47.8 swim. The next three guys had the advantage of a relay start that gives them momentum going into the swim.

If adrain anchors, he probably gains about about .5-.8 seconds on his flat start time, so he is looking at a :47.3-:47.00 split. Whoever leads off the relay then loses the advantaged from the relay take-off. If it is Cullen Jones, he is looking at a split of :48.2-:48.4. Phelps is probably :47.9 if he leads off.

So in the end, what one gains by Adrain anchoring is negated by someone else having to lead-off and the result doesn't change in the end.

[swimust]

Originally Posted by CoachJohnB

You fail to take one important detail into account. If the relay is anchored by Adrian, someone else must lead-off. Adrian led-off with a :47.8 swim. The next three guys had the advantage of a relay start that gives them momentum going into the swim.

If Adrian anchors, he probably gains about about .5-.8 seconds on his flat start time, so he is looking at a :47.3-:47.00 split. Whoever leads off the relay then loses the advantaged from the relay take-off. If it is Cullen Jones, he is looking at a split of :48.2-:48.4. Phelps is probably :47.9 if he leads off.

So in the end, what one gains by Adrian anchoring is negated by someone else having to lead-off and the result doesn't change in the end.

If Lochte had to swim before the anchor, then he would have given more trying to create a gap with other teams. He came to the anchor with a big lead, maybe too complacent, and when he needed a sprint he didnt have it in him. Lochte almost lost the final in one of his individual races at the first days because he decided to cruise the last 5 meters. It almost costed him a place in the final. Some issues in his head...
To my humble opinion, the psychological aspect of races is a bit neglected in swimming. The French in China and the Americans in London proved that. Of course that technique and power are vital, but Agnel is a proof how character can be important. He is a fighter just like YE the Chinese girl.

[CoachJohnB]

You have phelps and lochte confused. Lochte qualified in the middle lane for the 400 im. phelps qualified 8th by 7 hundreths of a second. To imply that lochte wasn't trying as hard on the anchor leg as he would have in another spot is one od the dumber statements ever posted here.

[swimust]

Originally Posted by CoachJohnB

You have phelps and lochte confused. Lochte qualified in the middle lane for the 400 im. phelps qualified 8th by 7 hundreths of a second. To imply that lochte wasn't trying as hard on the anchor leg as he would have in another spot is one od the dumber statements ever posted here.

No I havent confused between them. I saw a heat race on Saturday where Lochte was leading easily then switched off and almost lost the final because 4 swimmers closed on him very quickly. One more meter and he would have been out. You cant play games in such events.
Please correct me if I am wrong but Lochte was the new star of American swimming and was supposed to win lots of gold medals.
Isnt last night events the answer to my doubts?.. he was supposed to win both two events last night. came third and second...
I rest my case. many people see what they want to see...
His complacency showed out through the whole Olympics and when things turned bad he cracked under the pressure last night.
I came from other sports into swimming and I know one thing for sure: we are just humans. Labron James needed a lesson in humility from Boston Celtics in the 5th game that he lost at home before he became a champion. I believe that Lochte just got the same lesson.
I am sure he couldnt believe that Agnel will ever beat him, he was the winner in backstroke in china and came third last night, he was expected to beat phelps in the 200 IM because he was better... just an attitude problem. The results show that. I think that he cracked under the pressure from hero to almost zero...
people here worship world class swimmers as if they are god.. they are just humans.
The Dutch girl that won the 100 free admitted 10 minutes after the race on eurosport tv that she made too many mistakes in the final that she won, and she should had a better time than the 53 seconds. Just humans and Lochte need a lesson or two in winning ways from the "old Phelpsy".

[CoachJohnB]

Lochte was second in his prelim heat. He switched off the last few meters because he had done all he needed to do to qualify for finals. Lochte knows more about what he was doing in that race than you do.

Lochte hasn't been complacent with his 400 im preformance. He has raced every event with the same intensity, trying to get to the wall first. After the 200 free, he spoke about how he needed to be out fast at the 100 to have a chance to win. He said he prefers to be a back half swimmer but in order to have a chance to win, he had to try to be out front. After the race, he said he did what he needed to do to have a chance but it wasn't to be his day.

In the 200 back, he took the race out to give him a chance to win. He didn't win though, clary and the jap. guy swam terrific last 50's to catch him. He paid the price but he did what he thought he had to do to win.

Lochte has said "i believe it is my time" I love the confidence he showed heading into the olympics. If he didn't believe he had put the work in and didn't believe he could win, then he didn't need to be there. There is nothing wrong with an athlete believing in their abilities before a competition.

This may not have been the meet lochte had dreamed of having but he has still preformed well. He is not a "loser" as you would like for people to believe.

He still preformed better than 99% of the other swimmers at the meet, after all, he has an individual gold, a relay gold, a few silvers and a bronze.

[saadbox13]

I am not a big fan of sprints or any swims below 400m but it's worth mentionning that Laure Manaudou's little brother just made history today in the 50m freestyle :)

[tritri]

Originally Posted by saadbox13

I am not a big fan of sprints or any swims below 400m but it's worth mentionning that Laure Manaudou's little brother just made history today in the 50m freestyle :)

Yep, I did not see his swim and was very surprised and pleased for him when I heard the result. (off topic:*I had a look at your blog and it's great!)