The difference between Gold and Silver in swimming is simply ridiculous?

Question

Phelps won the 100m Butterfly at 50.58 seconds while Milorad Cavic won Silver at 50.59 seconds. This must be devastating knowing that you lost by 0.01 seconds.

Are swimmers used to such slim differences or does it simply kill them?

Answer 1

If you feel sorry for the swimmers think of the cyclist that was beat by 0.004s. Yes, there are meant to be 2 decimal places.

Answer 2

That would suck!! It is very devastating for someone to know that you lost by 0.01 seconds! But that is life, and swimming is very competetive you have to keep pushing yourself until you finally touch the wall.  

Answer 3

With electronic timing, measuring this close is common and merely shows how close the competition is.  You must have been paying attention for long - skiing events, being faster, sometimes depend on the 3rd decimal place.  

  Each competitor takes it differently, but each at some time in their career must make a choice to go on because they always have more events coming up and are still competing.

Answer 4

Just look at this:

http://100thofasecond.com/

GLORY TO CAVIC!!!

GLORY TO SERBIA!!!

Answer 5

Yeah.. it's that extra little bit that decides gold from silver. which makes it interesting and unpredictable.

I'm sure they're a good sport about it.  

Answer 6

It's a killer. At that level I should imagine it would be much worse. However great for Phelps, much better than a dead heat for him.

Answer 7

it kills them !

Answer 8

I personally think that it is both.  

Swimmers (and racers in general) know that the difference between gold and silver is fractions of a second, and are used to narrow wins.  But, that does not mean that they cannot be unhappy about losing by the slimmest of margins (especially when 1/100 of a second is the slimmest margin of victory that you can have in swimming).

Answer 9

It should almost be a tie, like they should be required to win by a tenth of a second or it should be best out of 3.

Answer 10

BOTH! but Jake you are soo wrong swimmers in general shouldn't have to win by any specific time and whare did you think of best out of 3??........rock paper siccors? a win is a win and ya it sucks to lose by a very short amount of time,but get real

Answer 11

Competition just likes that, cruel,so every swimmer should finish every action very well. We must admit Phelps is talent in swimming and also a lucky guy who can win by 0.01 seconds.

Milorad Cavic, come on you are also good swimmer