Why are so many swimming records being broken at the Beijing Olympics?

Question

It seems like in every race final a new record is being set. So what's the reason for this?

Are their suits getting better? Does it have something to do with the construction of the water cube? Are the athletes getting that much better?

I'm no swimmer so I have no idea. Thanks guys.

Answer 1

Its pretty common.

World records get broken at every olympics and every world championships. Its evolution! The human race gets stronger, taller and faster as the years go by. A hundred years ago there was a club in London for men who where 6ft tall. Now being 6ft is considered normal. The 1956 Olympic game the women were not even breaking the minute mark in to 100m freestyle. Coaches are becoming smarter too, they now work not just on swimming but the turns, the dive, their diet etc. Records will be broken in London in four years too!  

Answer 2

Let me tell you that it may be the suits. And I hope it is only that.

I hope that those swimming athletes are not doping to break records. All of them are subject to doping tests and automatic disqualification is the punishment for those swimmers who dope to try to break records.

Michael Phelps is subject to doping tests about every several days so he himself is aware that you cannot dope to break records. Breaking world  records takes sacrifice, eating good foods, and a lot of hard work and practice.

Answer 3

The swim suits are just a small reason so many records are being broken.

The other reason is that so many of these swimmers are professional swimmers and make their lively hood in the pool.

In the old days the swimmers were college age swimmers and some pro swimmers but with the amount of money each country will pay an athlete these days it is no wonder these Olympics are so... so... fast.

JIm

Answer 4

Because the audience is very warm

Answer 5

Because Michael Phelps is the best swimmer ever. That's why.

Answer 6

its cuz.....they are good! duh.These guys have been training their butts off.  Especially Mike Phelps

Answer 7

THe NBC commentators said that the pool is deeper, and the outside lanes aren't right up against the walls, so there is less turbulence in the water.  Less turbulance to fight makes the swimmers more efficient.

Certainly, the new suit technology is playing a role, too.  The swimmers describe the suits as reducing drag -- they are designed for each athletes individual body.  They also even seal to their skin around the neck and arms, so that water doesn't get inside the suit -- again, reducing drag and resistance.

Answer 8

Swimmers today are using the best technology. First off, the pool in the water cube is special for several reasons:

1) The pool is deeper than at any other Olympics, which reduces turbulence.

2) The pool is wider than in past Olympics. There is an extra lane on either side which redirects water into the gutters, thus reducing turbulence.

3) Believe it or not the lane dividers in Beijing are different, the redirect turbulence down instead of back at the swimmers which, you know, reduces turbulence.

Secondly there are a variety of training factors that make the athletes faster:

1) The LZR swim suit is custom made for each swimmer's body. It makes the top swimmers up to 2% faster.

2) Sports scientists do nothing but analyze swimmers via video, via blood tests, etc... They monitor their diet and training schedule and look for the most minuscule adjustment that might trim 1/10th of a second of the swimmer's time.

I doubt their doping, they are subject to random tests. Phelps for example gets tested almost every day.

Answer 9

I think some of the records were very outdated and about time they should be broken. I think the suits also give them a mental advantage and yes that is possible, if you think they will help then you will swim accordingly. The suits are over-hyped, sure they might make you swim 0.1 better but thats not worth the hype over them. I think it's just everyones improving due to training and more competition

Answer 10

Something is amiss.

You can say it's partly because of the new suits, but it's not like they were wearing baggy boardshorts prior to these new dolphin-skinned (or whatever they've been called/compared to) shorts.

The pool, supposedly, is 3 feet deeper than what previous "standard" Olympic pools measured in depth (9' for Beijing versus 6' for standard Olympic pools).

But really, many of these records have been reset within the last year, either at the 2007 World Championships or at the countries' own individual Olympic trials.  Yet at these Beijing Olympics, records are being broken and re-set, seemingly, in each consecutive heat rate, then in each consecutive semi-final, and then again in the final.  Records are not being merely broken by thousandths of a second, but are being obliterated, in just about EVERY specific event...male, female, individual swims, relays, etc.  

Technology (pools, suits, coaching, the mediums they use to study swimmers' form and motion, etc.) has come a long way, but it's not like technology has advanced several decades within the last year.  

I happen to think something is amiss in all of this.  I think the attention-drawing sensationalism of it all is a bit much.  I agree that it is not uncommon for Olympic records to be reset with regularity as the years (and thus succeeding Olympic games) go by, but for World Records in seemingly EVERY LAST SINGLE SWIMMING EVENT to be smashed and reset in one swim meet (which is what this is)?  I'm not buying it.