In an effort to build a foundation of strength and stamina in young athletes, the Royal Dutch Swimming Federation (KNZB) has enacted a new rule concerning junior swimmers’ event eligibility.
After the NJJK Short Course Championships this past January, the KNZB installed the regulation that junior swimmers can only swim the 50m event of a discipline if he/she has also met the qualifying time in the 200m distance of the event. The junior swimmer is not required to swim the 200m event, only to have achieved the meet qualifying time.
Says Titus Mennen, Dutch Youth and Juniors Coach, “We want junior swimmers to get started with strength. The quality of the short distances and long distances will fare better.”
The new rule is aligned with the KNZB’s ‘Top-Down’ Approach to coaching, a system developed by Mennen and Jacco Verhaeren, before Verhaeren left to take the Head Coaching job in Australia. The system consists of various ‘pillars’ of developing young athletes, with one being the goal of ‘building an athlete before building the swimmer.’
The approach aims to build up the strength and swim time of the athlete in the form of meters in the pool in order to ultimately open more options and competitive event choices once the athlete is more developed. The rule requiring swimmers to have achieved the 200m qualifying cut fits into the vision that the coaching staff ‘wants to build independent and self-confident, successful swimmers.’
I think it’s a smart move for smaller federations, a solid way to improve versatility and help the depth of relays. You learn a lot by mixing it up aswell.
Let’s be honest, we’re only talking about qualifying.
This has been the case at Y Nationals for several years for the 50s stroke. I don’t think this rule will apply to the 50 free. Think it’s a good idea all in all.
Agree with this move wholeheartedly. There are swimmers who can win a 50 but not easily repeat the time consistently because of a complete lack of training or conditioning.
As a coach of a Dutch Swimming team, who participates year on year at these championships. I am in favor of this development.
First of all some background information: Only the 50 meter freestyle used to be on the schedule for these champs, and the number of participants for the freestyle events were huge: Especially the 50 and 100 meter freestyle. It used to be, in my opinion, rather easy to meet the qualifying standards on these distances and young athletes (together with their coaches) started focussing on these events from a young age. However, the development on the long-term is lacking (aerobic, anaerobic and technique). As a swimmer you can always go down from mid or long distances… Read more »
Despicable. This will be the end of Netherland’s sprint success.
I think this is an excellent move. It’s well known that the Dutch know how to produce good sprinters, on both the men and women’s side. Yet that has never translated to the 200 distance. With all the speed, they’ve never medaled, either men or women, on the international stage at the 4×200 or even the 200 (I can’t think of a name other than Peter VDH). They need to tap into VDH’s training knowledge to build more depth.
You are missing Marcel Wouda who became world champion in 1998 on the 200 meter medley.
I have mixed feelings about this. I agree, it will benefit youth swimming overall. Alas, as a 50m and 100m breaststroker who lacks in stamina but is amply in power, this might be very difficult for some swimmers to overcome.
This is certainly an interesting move. I can see where it definitely would help create more well-rounded and versatile youth swimmers, I can’t help but think it isn’t very popular among coaches and athletes. Overall good for youth swimming? Probably. A well-liked measure? I think not.
That will also include 50 free? Because all top 50 freestyler of the last years (Manadou, Cielo, Fratus, Adrian) are all excelent 200 freestylers right?
And why meet the time of 200, not 100?
Why not 500? or Mile? Or open water?
Let’s make them also be runners! Yes, they should have the Boston Marathon QT in order to swim the 50, and have completed an IronMan.
And they have to be well-read. Probably submit a report on your choice of work by Tolstoy for review by the entry committee.
After all, it’s good to be well-rounded little robots.
500? they don’t swim yards in Europe.