While going through some old papers, I came across a heat sheet for the Friday morning session for short course nationals of 1974. My family had moved to Dallas the previous summer, and the host pool, Loos Natatorium, was not far from my home. Although I was a solid “B” swimmer at the time, I’d swum on my team’s 11-12 400 free relay at TAGS in this pool just a few weeks prior. (We finished 3rd, coming out of lane 8.)
My mom thought it would be a good idea to go watch a session or two. The annotations on the program are hers. She marked DQs, scratches, and false starts (“FS”). I haven’t been able to decode her generous use of *s.
Friday prelims session: 200 fly, 200 breaststroke, 100 back, and 800 free relay
As you read the times, consider the following:
- Title IX was passed just two years prior
- All backstroke turns/finishes required a hand touch
- No head submerge allowed in breaststroke
- Each swimmer was allowed one false start
LOCO SWIMMING 