I read the following conversation on a forum two days’ ago:
A: Hi, I just “smashed” a world record in a semi-final contest.
B: Oh, that’s great! Congratulations! Wish you a gold medal in the final.
A: Well, thank you. but I didn’t make into the final.
B: ….
It was a joke about how many swimming world records (WR)/Olympics records (OR) have been smashed in the Water Cube （水立方) – National Aquatic Center（国家游泳中心) since the first day of 29th Beijing Olympic Games. Even you broke a world record, you might not even qualify for the final contest. lol
Until today Aug 13 2008, there are 24 new swimming world records reset, and 28 Olympics records reset according the data from Beijing Olympics official website. Michael Phelps himself contributed 6 world records and won 5 gold medal until Aug. 13.
So, different theories about the world record making secrets have “revealed” on the web. Here are the top 3 most popular ones:
1. Speedo LZR RACER Swimming Suits
SULLIVAN Eamon from Australia said “it was very comfortable when wearing the Speedo LZR Racer.” Chinese Jiaying Pang said “it was like floating on the water after wearing it.” Speedo has done enough PR to show its high tech behind the “shark-skin”, but number is more convincing: 52 out of 56 swimming world records were set when athletes were wearing Speedo LZR Racer.
2. Water Cube
Gao Min (高敏), 1988 & 1992 Olympics 3m Springboard Woman Diving Gold Medal Winner, wrote in her blog:” When I visited the Water Cube a month’s ago for an interview, I was told that Water Cube would be a birthplace of many swimming world records. I didn’t pay attention at that time. Now I realized how important the technologies in building this water center are.”
Gao Min mentioned four key elements:
- The error tolerance for the 50m swimming lane is only 2mm, far more less than international standard of 1cm.
- Water quality is better.
- The floor around the swimming pool is heated to keep the athletes warm before the game.
- Water recirculating process technologies on the walls of the pool. They were designed and built to absorbed more currents/waves to reduce the resistance.
Another theory is that the pool is 1m deeper than general pools, which is also helpful in reducing the water resistance.
3. Drugs?
- No comment at this moment.
Any more?
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Extra slippery water?
How about the Water Cube’s air circulation/ventilation system contributing to these records? Isn’t the entire building built to “breathe” which would allow for a greater amount of fresh air than in most natatoriums (which tend to be quite stifling)? I realize Beijing air is supposed to be polluted, but wouldn’t this be filtered before being pumped in?