According to Brazil’s Blog do Coach, run by Alex Pussielidi, FINA this weekend approved the local 1PM prelims and 10PM finals times that have been proposed and protested for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio. That’s as compared to 10AM prelims and 7:30PM finals in London.
This schedule had been the primary of a few alternatives initially proposed and presented to Brazilian coaches in October, and FINA has given the decision their stamp of approval.
The move has been publicly criticized by several federations, including Australia and New Zealand, who are concerned that athletes who have to undergo doping control could be at the pool as late as 2AM – which risks throwing off natural sleep cycles.
FINA is still trying to work with Olympic organizers, according to the post, on the timing of open water swimming, however. The Rio 2016 organizers want to hold the open water event concurrently with pool swimming to open the games, but FINA is concerned about the growing list of athletes who compete in both the pool and open water – including Dutch swimmer Sharon von Rouwendaal, who this summer won three medals in open water and one in the pool at the European Championships.
Anyone thinking about the spectators in the stadium ? They have to go home/to their hotel around 12-1am… Hope the Brazilian police can keep them safe….
Consider you are selected for peeing at 1 am. Sounds gr8.
I think we all need to appreciate one thing, these are professional athletes. They can deal with these circumstances, they did in Beijing and they did in London – It is far from ideal, but it’s the reality facing the athletes. They know his 2 years before they event, they should be able to adapt.
Having said that, FINA being “concerned” about athletes it’s not a theme I’d detected in any of their recent decisions, so I wonder why they are concerned regarding the open-water events timing?
there was a bigger outcry about beijing in 2008 when the finals were 10 am local time, only for multiple records to be set.
Most western nations have time limits on minors working / performing unreasonable hours. However if they are in a Broadway show for example , they get a permit provided arrangements are made for tutoring & sleep .
It is not as if swimming ever worried about kids finishing at 7pm & back in the pool at 5 am anyhow. Perhaps they can join the samba parade at 1 am & not even go to bed . Perhaps they won’t need to provide beds at all!
what the hell are you talking about
Actors Equity would not allow young performers out there after midnight /12.30 on a non school day nor allow any demands by organisers . The latter would includ drug testing , transport , media etc .
Young actors/acrobats/dancers/ musicians would be able to walk out the door & join the conga line . They would not be subject to any demands before 5am nor even have to sleep in the village. Those hours are their own.
Why are young athletes given less protection in the Biggest Show in Town yet have totalitarian demands on them 24/7?
what the hell are you talking about
While I get it, the tv coverage and all. MAN that sucks to have to swim that late. ugh. Which time zone are they trying to pander too here with the late finals? why don’t they just do the old delayed TV thing.
I said it before. I love swimming…but without Olympic TV coverage being maximized every 4 years, very few people would care about this sport outside of those on this web site, and if elite athletes hope to capture any money from a professional/endorsement standpoint, then deal with it. The Olympics are no longer about the athletes…they are about money.
If this stands, I guess the best thing to do would for swimmers to get used to going to bed around 2:00 or 3:00am and waking up around 10:00 or 11:00am from the time they arrive in country. Most of them will be having to adjust their internal clocks due to jet lag, anyway. Not ideal, but…
The first guys affected by that rule are… THE BRAZILIANS!
It is very rare for a swimmer sleeping past midnight, it will be tough for locals too.
your right to suggest training on that schedule. I know for a fact Webber-Gale would go for long walks before and after practice before 08, to get ready for the amount of walking he would have to do in china. That’s one of the things he said to the team I was on when he spoke to/met us