In light of Megan Romano’s 100 freestyle relay split at the World University Games, you have to wonder if USA Swimming is choosing the best relays possible. Romano split a 52.90 while anchoring the 4×100 freestyle relay, almost running down the Russians to finish second. Today, she split a 54.45 to finish third in the 100 meter freestyle. Her reaction time was .71 in the individual event. Her reaction time in the relay was .18, which means her relay swim was over a second faster than her individual swim, if you only look at time in the water.
Last year in London, the women’s 4×100 freestyle relay finished third. The fastest split in the women’s 4×100 freestyle relay was from Missy Franklin. Missy led off in 53.52. The relay finished third; they were .45 behind the Netherlands and 1.09 behind Australia. If Romano would have had the fourth spot on that relay, and done the same time, they would have been .75 faster, and only .34 behind Australia. Only two women split under 53 seconds in that event last summer at the Olympics.
There are several athletes who perform better in relays than they do in their individual events. Is there a way that relay performance can be considered when selecting the international teams? Romano did not make the Olympic team last summer, but with a 52.90 relay split, the relay would have been significantly faster, and USA would have received the silver medal. There are several other swimmers who also perform better in relays. Romano has similar time spreads during the NCAA season between relays and individual events.
Megan Romano is swimming at the World University Games as well as the World Championships in Barcelona. She qualified as an alternate in the 4×100 freestyle relay.
Do you like the relay selection process that USA Swimming uses right now, or do you think it is time to revise the process? Let us know what you think.
Didn’t Romano have a huge advantage in drafting off of the Russian swimmer? As did Lezak 2008 and Agnel 2012?
Should this be taken into account when weighing these impressive relay swims?
Still, you need talent and skill to draft in relay, skills that is honed through years of relays competition like in NCAA.
Bousquet and Lezak have it becaue of their Aurburn (same with Targett).
USA is at HUUGEE advatange if they can bring more relay-only swimmers, just because the depth in USA is unparalleled.
It only makes sense to use relay times as the placement for the relays. I’m not quite sure how this could be done (which probably could be another topic of discussion here), but using flat start times for the relays seems to be overrated. Individual times have nothing to do with relay performances!
Take Jason Lezak for example:
Flat start best – 47.58
Relay split best – 46.06
That’s a difference of 1.52 seconds! I know, given the circumstances, that Lezak’s split and race were unbelievable, but that’s a huge difference. If we could only take our best swimmers and make them better RELAY swimmers (instead of taking our best relay swimmers and making their individual swims… Read more »
How often do these guys swim relays? I assume it’s just for major meets.
You guys, we totally can’t switch the relay selection process. The beauty of how the US does is that it’s completely objective, for the most part – if you swim fast, you’re on the squad. Once you start trying to gauge who the “big-time relay performers” are you’re just asking for trouble.
For the Americans out there, are any of you concerned with Romano and her taper? Has she started to taper yet? A big issue for Romano is, is that not long ago US trials were held and assuming right, Romano would have been fully rested for this event. Although, her 200m form does make question if she was fully rested. Forward 2 weeks to 2013 Universiade and she has split a 52.9 on anchor. She may have rested some more. But then you compare her individual times and there is a half second difference, and not for the better. Does that mean she is still training? If one is to say that she will start to taper once the Universiade… Read more »
I haven’t taken the time to read all the comments so forgive me if I make a point someone has already made. Would this when br serious talk if it was a swimmer other than romano? Because let’s face it, her appearance, especially as she now has a swim swam photo vault, has gotten the swimming community taljing about her more than her times. If she wasn’t so good looking we probably wouldnt even be discussing this. In my opinion that is. My next point. Megan what are you doing when u get back to America. Hahaha
Romano must be getting pretty embarrassed about all this.
I am expecting her to get her own express line at the airport. ‘ oh look there is señorita Romano – the American relay star!
Absolutely!!! USA coaches know relay swimmers and who they are!! They could have a strategy in place like no one else!! Have thought about that a lot lately!! Glad it’s been brought to the forefront!
Absolutely!!! USA coaches know relay swimmers and who they are!! They could have a strategy in place like no one else!! Have thought about that a lot lately!! Glad it’s been brought to the forefront!
The reality with the sport is it is a one shot deal… one to make the team, and one to win the medal. How many great swimmers out there had stellar careers on the whole (all american, NCAA champs, etc) but no Olympic hardware to the mix. And how many people in the public could name them?
Face it, the folks at NBC want to see names people recognize, or fresh faces (like Missy inLLondon) who light up the score board at the major competition
or how many relay golds and indvidual medals does Jenny Thompson own, but not a single olympic individual gold. Even Camelia Potec has one gold.