07-06-2021, 04:58 AM
There are 3 reasons why the best swimmers aren't on the relays for prelims:
1) The best swimmers are more rested/prepared for the finals if they don't swim the prelims.
2) More swimmers get to earn higher spots (often medals for the USA) by swimming relays in the morning.
3) Sometimes, multiple swimmers may be competing for the 4th spot on the relays in the finals. Whoever is best in the prelims may be chosen to swim the relay in the finals.
Actually, I guess there's a fourth
4) The best swimmers may have other swims near the time of the prelims.
I presume for some of the soccer matches, the US are overwhelming favorites. I'd think all the older team members would be rested in those games, to avoid an injury and just to keep them fresher. Wouldn't the coach try to get all the alternates into one game each?
I would have thought for a team sport, team members would get medals even if they never entered a game. But, I can see not giving a medal for an alternate if they never were on a game's roster.
As I've said on the WWP thread, the Olympics has an 11-member roster for any WP game, but the team has 2 alternates that I expect they'll rotate into the roster for at least one game. (WP has 7 athletes in the pool (6 field + goalie), so that leaves only 4 on the bench for any game. If one of those were a goalie, that only leaves 3 field players on the bench. Players foul out from WP (for 3 major fouls) about as often as basketball players foul out. I could see a physical game might leave a team playing short-handed. If I were an opponent of the US, I'd be planning on doing just that.)
(I'm not assuming that the USA will get a medal, but am hoping they will.)
1) The best swimmers are more rested/prepared for the finals if they don't swim the prelims.
2) More swimmers get to earn higher spots (often medals for the USA) by swimming relays in the morning.
3) Sometimes, multiple swimmers may be competing for the 4th spot on the relays in the finals. Whoever is best in the prelims may be chosen to swim the relay in the finals.
Actually, I guess there's a fourth
4) The best swimmers may have other swims near the time of the prelims.
I presume for some of the soccer matches, the US are overwhelming favorites. I'd think all the older team members would be rested in those games, to avoid an injury and just to keep them fresher. Wouldn't the coach try to get all the alternates into one game each?
I would have thought for a team sport, team members would get medals even if they never entered a game. But, I can see not giving a medal for an alternate if they never were on a game's roster.
As I've said on the WWP thread, the Olympics has an 11-member roster for any WP game, but the team has 2 alternates that I expect they'll rotate into the roster for at least one game. (WP has 7 athletes in the pool (6 field + goalie), so that leaves only 4 on the bench for any game. If one of those were a goalie, that only leaves 3 field players on the bench. Players foul out from WP (for 3 major fouls) about as often as basketball players foul out. I could see a physical game might leave a team playing short-handed. If I were an opponent of the US, I'd be planning on doing just that.)
(I'm not assuming that the USA will get a medal, but am hoping they will.)