FORUM: Flying Gull, Fair Play & Fighting Chances At The Dawn Of The Olympic Dash
When World Aquatics takes another look at whether it's appropriate for a 12-year-old to be battling for medals at World Championships, it might extend the think tank to the reasons why Olympic dash comebacks should require a return to the anti-doping testing pool by July 2026
Forget 1986 and 2001 as pivotal years in the early evolution of stroke dash events heading for tenor Olympic debut in 2028: Flying Gull, in 1844, gets you much closer to the reason why Los Angeles is gearing up for six new 'beat-ya-to-the-wall' swim sprints.
Flying who? Let's start with a fine summary of what the dash brings to the party in the pool.
World Aquatics Director Brent Nowicki hit the nail on the head when he spoke to a round table of mainstream media journalists during the World Championships in Singapore that ended last Sunday. He pointed to simplicity as the key when he said:
"The 50 is so easy to understand. It's a grandmother conversation. My grandmother would get it, and it's something that goes right back to the roots of the sport. It's one length, non turn, winner takes all. A child understands it. There's something very pure about going as fast as you can from 'here to the wall'. Everyone's got a chance."
Precisely. "Beat-ya-to-the-wall' is what Flying Gull was all about. He was a Native American Ojibwe from the Great Lakes region and he paved the way for freestyle’s popularity on a visit to London in 1844...
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