Josh Schneider Controversy

Swimming is a pretty simple sport... You get a stroke and distance and when someone reaches the National level in the US you can sure damn bet that the swimmers has been around the sport for a while and has swam A LOT to get to that level.

So... enter Josh Schneider.

Schneider has emerged as one of the best sprinters in the United States, showing up and winning the 50 yard freestyle at the NCAA Championships this year, which is no small feat considering that the NCAA are widely considered one of the fastest meets on the planet every year.

Today, in Irvine, California at the Summer Nationals and Pan Pacific Trials for the US Schneider found himself thrust squarely into the spotlight. Everything seemed normal at first, Schneider gets up in prelims and swims a very fast 22.22 in the 50m freestyle and unofficially qualifying 2nd for the Final.

One problem... Schneider was entered in the 100m fly and did not show up... This is a no-no at big meets that hate no shows because with hundreds of entries, un-punished no shows would be more pervasive and seriously cause time issues with meets. The punishment for no shows is universally disqualification from all other events that day.

Now Schneider is in a pickle... A top qualifier in the 50 FR looking at disqualification because he missed an after-thought of an event.

I'm not in California but sources tell me that there was a lot of chaos as one might expect. The rules state Schneider should be out. Schneider's coach, David Marsh is a very influential and important coach at SwimMAC, was adamant that this was a honest mistake and Schneider who is looking to make a big-time career breakthrough should not be disqualified for something so trivial. Enter another highly influential coach, Eddie Reese at Longhorns Aquatics who coaches the 9th overall qualifier (just outside the top 8 that swim in the Championship final) Jimmy Feigen who is more then capable of swimming into the medal picture and getting on the Pan Pac team. I'm sure Reese definitely wanted the rules to be adhered to and get his swimmer Feigen into the Final.

The result...

After Feigen was told he would be in the Final, Schneider actually did end up swimming the 50FR final in lane 5 and tied for 2nd with a time of 21.97.

The unofficial results read like this...

1. Nathan Adrian 21.70 (amazingly fast in the textile suit era)
2. Josh Schneider 21.97
2. Cullen Jones 21.97
4. Garrett Weber-Gale 22.21
5. Nick Brunelli 22.36
6. William Copeland 22.45
7. Matt Grevers 22.53
8. Adam Small 22.55

USA Swimming Board of Directors will rule on Schneider's fate tomorrow AM... Surely a sleepless night may be in-store for Mr. Schneider.

After watching an interview of Schneider it looks like he's being honest, this was a mistake but by the letter of the law he should be toast. A tough way to learn important lessons that every swimmer should know...

KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SWIMMING
CHECK THE ENTRIES BEFORE THE MEET
BE AWARE OF WHAT IS GOING ON
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

We will see what USA Swimming does, sure is an interesting choice.

If there is a silver-lining here, clearly Josh Schneider has ascended to the ranks of the truly elite sprinters in the world... 21.97 is damn fast.

For more....

A thorough interview with Schneider is currently on the front page of SwimNetwork.

Associated Press coverage found through Yahoo!

Amazing coverage of all races found at the broadcasting channel of the National Championships, Universal Sports.