Every four years, I have the same suggestion. As a former competitive swimmer myself, I enjoyed the team component of the competitions at the high school level. When you know you're not going to win a state championship, your goal is to try to make the finals to get points for the team competition. I believe the Olympics should add this component to the games. Each nation is allowed two competitors in every event. A gold medal gets 10 points, silver 8, bronze 6, and then 5-1 for the remaining places. Add diving in for good measure (Colorado swimming combines points for both swimming and diving).
I think this would add a terrific component to the competition, and give aspiring swimmers a more accurate representation of what competitive swimming is all about.
I think this would add a terrific component to the competition, and give aspiring swimmers a more accurate representation of what competitive swimming is all about.