A bit of unfairness in olympic sports don't you think? (read on)?

Question

it's very good news that Michael Phelps is breaking all these records but I personally think swimming and diving compared to other sports have too many medals open. Yes, track events too. But it is quite uncommon for a marathon runner to do a 100m sprint, where as in swimming a 1500m freestyler can do 100m, 50m and more...

I think that the IOC should give more medals open to other sports such as for track, as in swimming they have four strokes, shouldn't they have for track , running normally, running backwards, running sideways and all that?

Please write your opinion.

^^Thank you.

Answer 1

lol, did you really think of this by yourself?

the fact is that 1500m swimmers don't do the 50m  events for exactly the same reason that marathon runnners don't do sprints. about the only cross over for a 1500m swimmer in the 400m for men and 800.400 for women. Also the long distance swimming events are only in freestyle not the other strokes.

Certainly most swimmer specilise in a stroke.

The only extra events are medley relays and possibly individual medleys. But then again it's the relays that are giving phelps his record.

Answer 2

Lol. If you could get people to want to compete in those new events, why not?

Answer 3

The swimming races are very similar to the field events.  See the following:

50M Swim = 100 Metres Run = Sprint event

400M Swim = 800Metres Run = Middle Distance event

1500M Swim = Marathon = Long Distance event

Athetics have flat runs, hurdles, steeplechase, walking and relays.  

Many athletes race the 100M, 200M, 400M and the 3 associated relays.  

It is rare to find a distance swimmer swimming a sprint race and being competitve.  

Anyway that is my opinion

Answer 4

I can't dispute what you say about the difference in that there are different strokes in swimming whereas running is running just different distances (unless you say walking is different and hurdles and steeplechase) But why is it 'unfaiir' It is a different sport, yes it is different but unfair is not a justified description.

Answer 5

You almost had a reasonable point - until you started suggesting running sideways, running backwards, etc.

But to the point, it's not that swimming is intended to have all these events that just a handful of athletes can compete in. They have events of varying distances in each of the 4 disciplines, plus related relays. The idea is to have something for sprinters, middle distance, and endurance athletes. Just like you do in track and field.

If you like you could look at events like the hurdles, walking, and steeple chase as being the equivalent of the different disciplines in swimming.  

Answer 6

Well, your logic can't be refuted.

I had never thought of it that way before..

Answer 7

i would definately watch a side ways or running backwards race forrrrr surrrrrrrrre! haha

Answer 8

I have been thinking this ALL day and night for the past 2 days.

Please believe me I am going to sound like I am pandering for best answer but I promise you I'm not, I just totally agree with you 100%. The only reason I didn't post a question like this myself is because I have already posted like 6 questions today.

I personally think the most important event is weightlifting. You can be the strongest swimmer, the strongest basketball team, the strongest gymnast, but there is only one Strongest STRONG at the olympics. And that is determined by the Men's 115+kg weightlifting.

Those guys should be the most popular at the Olympics for their shear domination out of any athlete physically at the olympics.

But the problem is they only have the snatch and the clean and jerk.

They should have the clean & press, bench pressing, leg pressing, curling, etc.

They don't have like you said 10m butterfly, 20m rely, 10m freestyle, 15m backstroke, etc, etc, etc,

Therefore if you are the best aquatic person, you're going to win most if not all of those and appear as if you're better than the other gold medalists.

Very good post.

Answer 9

There's already hurdles, steeplechase and roadwalking.