[conductr]

My untrained eye has noticed. But I also think it's not really a big deal. There are so few events where the conditions are exactly the same every 4 years. Just kinda the luck of the draw if you happen to be competing in the most ideal conditions for WR setting in any event

[kergonath]

Also, the important bit is fairness for all competitors. As the OP said, the same conditions affect everybody. I have little sympathy for the (few) swimmers complaining. They are not owed a world record and if they’re that good, they’re going to get one anyway.

[teractiveodular]

Wouldn't the sides affect swimmers on the edge lanes next to them more? And is this one reason why the strongest swimmers are usually placed in the center lanes?

[jseutter]

Swimmers on edge lanes get affected more, and they leave the outside lanes unoccupied except for the first stage of qualifying.

[killingtime74]

From the races I saw they specifically had the edge lanes (left most, right most) empty probably for this reason. I.e. 8 out of 10 lanes are used. I think one of them did have someone in one of those lanes because one of the qualifying heats was a dead heat.

[aqfamnzc]

Given the other comments I must be missing something, but wouldn't it be pretty much fair? The end swimmer gets one real neighbor and one simulated (reflection) neighbor from the wall. The middle folks have two real neighbors creating chop.

[lupusreal]

Correct.

[trhway]

> But I also think it's not really a big deal.

the difference of the resulting turbulence from the wave bounced back from the bottom surface at 2m here and from the more traditional 3m is a big deal. The water is pushed by the swimmer's hands with the speed of something on the scale of 2 meters per second, so, as the swimmer moves forward, that turbulent movement of the water reflected by the pool bottom may as well come behind the legs in the 3m depth case while in the 2m depth case it would catch the legs decreasing the efficiency of their movement.

[myworkinisgood]

It's not a big deal in terms of competition as long as all players are affected equally. People are just being whiny.

[LargeWu]

Additionally, anybody good enough to be prevented from setting a world record because of this pool will undoubtedly have multiple chances in other competitions with faster pools.

[nl]

This isn't really the case. You need a fast pool and good competition.

The Titmus vs Sanders vs Ledecky 400m could have been a world record race in another pool, but there's a pretty good chance we'll never see the three of them race each other again.

[LargeWu]

Counterpoint: Ledecky has never had anybody even close to her level in the 1500 and she has broken her own WR half a dozen times. I think good competition can help, but that effect is likely far less than pool conditions.

[nl]

Yes, this is absolutely true.

In Ledecky's case the clock is the only competition, and she's just so much better than anyone else it's currently impossible for someone to race her.

In Athletics at non-Championship meets they have pacemakers who provide a pace for the eventual winners to chase when they are going for fast times.

It'd be interesting to see what Ledecky could do if she swam (for example) with male pacemakers as competition.

Or maybe Summer Sanders will move up to the 1500m and we'll see a real race before Ledecky retires.

[Rastonbury]

Wouldn't any of these people not try for a WR in other comps without strong competitors? WR seems more prestigious than just a win and going for it and getting it means you win that race too

[thaumasiotes]

> There are so few events where the conditions are exactly the same every 4 years.

The Olympics used to be held at Olympia. It's not difficult to make the conditions the same every four years.

[lordnacho]

On that note, I should mention the idea of having a permanent Olympic city. Perhaps a new one.

That way, there's no circus that goes around at great expense each time, and the Olympic city becomes a centre for sports science during the interim.

Perhaps have separate summer and winter cities.

Only drawback is the ioc doesn't get to choose a city every four years.

[RandomThoughts3]

The circus is the point of the Olympic.

If there is no big event happening somewhere, the Olympic have no point. There are already permanent venues and international competitions happening for each of the sports of the Olympic.

[lostlogin]

> Only drawback is the ioc doesn't get to choose a city every four years.

That’s a massive drawback which is probably insurmountable.

They to love kickback.

[mrgoldenbrown]

Imagine the bribes they would get when choosing the permanent city though!