Last week, it was a locked-down campus. The big drama headed into this weekend’s men’s NCAA Championships is the big snowstorm that hit over the weekend, and the frigid temperatures that are to follow.
There were lots of complaints about the air temperature in the natatorium, as well as frigid water temperatures at IUPUI last week. Now, mother nature has joined the club, with temperatures lying mostly below the “freezing” line all weekend, and snow expected to continue until around midnight as most men’s teams will begin arriving either today or tomorrow.
The good news for the swimmers is that things should become much more temperate as the meet gets closer to starting. WeatherUnderground.com has temperature highs into the 40’s and 50’s into the weekend, with no snow and plenty of sunshine (though things may drop below freezing overnight).
The good news is that all athletes will be under the same circumstances; though some may be more accustomed to the cold weather and cold water than others will be, all have known about this possibility in the Midwestern locale with plenty of time to prepare an adaptation plan.
Good luck to all swimmers, coaches, and fans travelling fort he meet. Stay safe, and stay healthy!
Pretty sure there is a temp range in the rule book.
No excuse for IUPUI to have sub standard leve cold water temps. Solution: Turn the pool heater(s) on.
Oh it was the water? I thought they were talking about the air temp. I noticed at the old Belmont Plaza pool,(now permanently closed due failed seismic safety test) which was very drafty during the winter, that times would fluctuate with the outside air temp.
I was there, and it was very comfortable for me being on deck, which is very unusual. I’m usually sweating through my pants. To me, that tells me that those girls must have been freezing especially being wet. I also heard that the water temp was cold. It’s funny because after two days of hearing whispers on deck, I asked our swimmer what she thought, and said it was fine. I guess it’s who you ask.
Secondly, I’ve been to a bunch of meets, and some have more chlorine in the air than others. I always know when there is a lot of chlorine when my eyes start burning. My eyes never burned at IUPUI, and I was on deck… Read more »
It was 70 degrees this past weekend at Stanford. It almost never rains this time of the year in the Bay Area. I still don’t understand why the NCAA won’t allow an outdoor pool to host. The facility is beautiful and there’s tons of seating and warm up/down space.
[Grumpy Old Man voice] I’m oooooold! And I’m not happy! And I don’t like things now compared to the way they used to be. All this progress — phooey! In my day, there were no “indoor heated pools”. If you wanted to have a swim meet in Indianapolis in mid-March, you had it in the pond next to the asbestos factory. It was two feet deep, frozen over and filled with toxic chemicals. When you’d dive in you would break your neck, get frost bite, and then develop a tumor the size of a house on the side of your neck. And that’s the way it was and we liked it! [/Grumpy Old Man voice]
I read one of the female swimmers last week quoted as wondering whether the cold weather could be one factor in the slower than expected times. Was it actually cold in the natatorium? Didn’t seem to affect most of the Georgia gals, though if so, I suppose it could be a mental factor for some.