Alex Walsh on 200 IM Race Strategy: “Going out and going for it”

2022 FINA SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Alex Walsh placed 2nd in her first individual event of the week, the 200 IM, behind her Virginia teammate, Kate Douglass. Walsh was pleased with her race and how she executed it, going with a more “fly and die” method of trying to hold on with Douglass for as long as she could.

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Awsi Dooger
2 years ago

I’m always amazed at the lack of situational awareness. She’s driving to the venue and it dawns on her that this is short course meters. You would think there would have been strategy adaptation, including when you’ll reach the wall and what that means in terms of an additional stroke.

I have to say that’s the one area in which swimming seems comparatively primitive…the timing to the wall and maximizing arrival. Every time I’m watching a butterfly race the only thing I’m focusing on is whether or not the leader(s) will hit the wall perfectly at the end of a full stroke. This is obvious a long way from the wall. Several strokes. Yet it’s incredible that even the… Read more »

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Awsi Dooger
2 years ago

I get not being adapted to SCM for American swimmers, though. (Because the easiest way to find a place to train would be what, moving bulkheads? And clearly this meet isn’t a huge priority for most.)

What I never got was a guy like Michael Phelps whomping all his LCM fly turns for like 6 straight years.

JimSwim22
Reply to  Steve Nolan
2 years ago

Have u ever swum a LCM 2Fl at full effort? It’s totally different than Edwin Moses running a 400 Hurdles. Perspective makes it much much more difficult to judge

Emo boi
Reply to  Awsi Dooger
2 years ago

You’re misunderstanding what she said. She’s not saying that she “just realized it was short course meters.” She’s saying that it felt exactly like short course yards, that she questioned if she was even swimming short course meters due to how similar it felt. If you paid attention to the interview you could’ve seen her follow up with that like 2 seconds later.

Last edited 2 years ago by Emo boi
Meathead
2 years ago

Pretty wild the best two 2 IMers in the world are training partners on the same college team

How intense must those practices be?!?

Lisa
Reply to  Meathead
2 years ago

Yes and right now two of them have second best time of 200 Im in short course and long course and it’s looking good for Paris

Last edited 2 years ago by Lisa
Little Mermaid
2 years ago

Walsh over Douglas the usual seen it many times

Chris
Reply to  Little Mermaid
2 years ago

oh really? How did that work out?

Emo boi
Reply to  Little Mermaid
2 years ago

i feel like walsh is always prioritized over douglass. idk if she’s seen as more marketable but she’s always represented more.

Admin
Reply to  Emo boi
2 years ago

I don’t have a comment on which is more marketable, but I don’t think it has to be that deep. Walsh has an Olympic silver medal and an individual LCM World Championship. Douglass has an Olympic bronze medal and an individual LCM World Championship bronze medal.

Walsh’s long course resume is just better. USA Swimming has never really elevated NCAA accomplishments (which I think is a mistake – it’s an easy way to connect with an audience).

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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