• • _ h~£__ • ,2:: : , ~lowZy, ! its way i Photo by .~,lichael Aron W ,A.q,,, :' Gar b, Hall means business. In his own inimitable style. Gar b' is leading the movement to prolcs~,lomdizc ~ mmm]~. (Ahem...the cigar is only a prop--it is not lit. p) nle upon a time, the sport of swim- out worrying about where the next meal 73 More than a decade ago. a handful of ing was as pure as the driven was coming from. If anyone tried to swim swimmers began looking around at the ow. Athletes swam for the sheer beyond college, he generally was discour- world of sports beyond the 50-meter lane joy of swimming, and the bogeyman of aged. "C'mon old dude, hang it up and lines. What they saw was athletes in other money never raised its ugly head. When give the youngsters a chance." sports continuing to compete into their late they graduated from college (or from high Ah, those were the Good Old Days. But 20s and even through their 30s. earning school, before there were collegiate sports times, they are a-changing. Thanks to the megabucks and gaining television exposure for the fairer sex), they hung up the o1' efforts of a group of dedicated athletes led for their sports. They saw these sports swim suit and sallied forth into the Real by Gary Hall, Jr., American swimming is growing in popularity and respect, even World to get Real Jobs. being propelled into the modem era. It is a while swimming--the nation's most popu- Swimming was for the young and rela- development that is applauded by most lar participant sport--was falling off the tively affluent--people who could afford top-level athletes, but rued by many of the national radar screen. to train for 20 or more hours a week with- "'purists." SWIMMING WORLDAND JUNIOR SWIMMER MARCH 1997 2 It +,y they have won in individual races. Last December, the fifth annual Kerr- t the recent European Sprint McGee meet offered $28,000 in cash for Ipionships in Rostock, Germany, prize professionals--S600 for first, $300 for sec- ~,y was awarded to European record- ond, $100 for third in each event--and over cers. The Sprint Classic in Rio de $3,300 in prizes for amateur swimmers, ro offers several thousand dollars to according to John Brown, Kerr-McGee ~,inners, as do several meets in coach since 1982 and the man who came up alia. One such meet has come up with with the idea for the meet format in 1990. citing format, including a "devil-take- "This is a great way to get top athletes ndmost" 200 meter race, in which the to a meet in Oklahoma City and give the wimmer at each turn in the 25-meter local kids a chance to mingle with the s eliminated until only two swimmers stars," says Meet Director Jim Sullins. "It's Lttling for the final 25 meters. a way to put some money in the pockets of the pro athletes, and it's a tremendous 1990, Jager and Matt Biondi got opportunity for the kids to talk to a Josh tu~cuier to organize a "'sprint shootout" in Davis or a Summer Sanders," adds Brown. So, they asked, "Why not us?" After all, Nashville, Tenn. The meet, sponsored by ++It's something they'd never have a chance they argued, there's no particular reason to United States Swimming, featured a series to do otherwise, and it is inspirational." believe that swimmers reach their physical of 50 meter freestyle match races with Twenty of last year's 44 Olympians peak at 17 or 18 (for women) or 21 or 22 $10,000 for the winner, $5,000 for the run- have swum at the Kerr-McGee meet. Each (for men). If runners, cyclists, skaters, ner-up and $1,000 for third. year they put on a stroke clinic with the triathletes, basketball players and other ath- The results were spectacular. Jager set proceeds donated to local charities. letes can continue at the top of their game the world record of 21.81, which still In +97, meet organizers hope to be able into their 30s and earn a good living doing stands, while Biondi clocked the second to offer some $50,000 in cash, and they so, why not swimmers? fastest time ever, 21.85. The event also expect the meet to be televised. "Kerr- Tom Jager's was one of the most persis- scored a strong 4.6 Nielsen rating and was McGee Corporation has been our title tent of the voices asking such disquieting shown around the world and featured on sponsor right from the start," says Sullins, questions, for which he was branded a trou- cross-country airline flights. "and they've been our club sponsor since blemaker by some. Only his achievements The following year, after Mark Spitz 1963." But organizers have also successful- as a world record holder and three-time announced his Olympic comeback, Spitz ly garnered additional sponsors: The Daily Olympian gave him the credibility to con- created and promoted another series of OHahoman, Southwest Airlines, Speedo, tinue to raise them. made-for-TV match races. Dubbed the the Great Plains Coca-Cola Bottling Eventually, Jager's arguments began to Clairol Option Swim Challenge and held at Company, the Meridien Plaza Hotel and find a receptive audience. Why shouldn't the jam-packed Mission Viejo pool, the the Jackie Cooper auto dealership. swimmers be rewarded financially? Why show featured head-to-head Jager vs. Spitz not encourage them to compete beyond and Biondi vs. Spitz 50 meter fly races. Last May, the Phoenix Grand Prix meet college? Thus, a fertile field was plowed (Actually, the races turned out to be "head- --the only pre-Olympic competition in for the growth of professional swimming in to-feet" rather than head-to-head confronta- which the entire U.S. Olympic team partic- the United States. tions.) ipated-did not offer prize money but suc- In the first race, Jager pocketed ceeded in garnering corporate sponsorship Meanwhile, the rest of the world was $20,000, Spitz $15,000. In the second, and in attracting sellout crowds every outstripping us. Meets were being held in Biondi took home 35 "big ones" to Spitz's evening. Europe, Asia, Australia and South America $15K. Once again, the show grabbed a Fans were particularly excited by the 50 in which prize money was being offered. large domestic and foreign viewing audi- Bonuses were awarded for record-breakers, ence, putting the lie to critics within the One of the principals involved in and innovative formats were developed to sport who claimed that swimming was bor- helping professionalize the sport of attract crowds and television viewers. ing and would never attract a large televi- swimming has been Tom Jager (top Most successful has been the World sion audience. left): even with $28.000 on the line Cup series in Europe and Asia in which for pro athletes at this year's Kerr- points are awarded in six different cate- On a continuing basis, the Kerr-McGee McGee meet, there was still time for gories (sprint freestyle, distance free, back, swim meet in Oklahoma City has led the fun as David Fox and Tripp Schwenk breast, fly, IM) for placing in each race. At way toward professionalization in the (center) will attest: another supporter the end of the series, the top point scorers United States. The meet has grown in pop- of swimming's new trend is Byron are given cash prizes in addition to the ularity--and in prize money--every year. Davis (top right). 26 SWIMMINGWORLD AND JUNIOR SWIMMER MARCH 1997 meter butterfly race in which the winner • Nissan will sponsor a group of eight to (Amy Van Dyken) was awarded a two-year ten athletes plus a top coach under the lease on a Nissan Pathfinder, and by the umbrella of Team Nissan. "It's the same 200 meter freestyle relay match-up kind of approach that has been used suc- between the U.S. women's Olympic relay cessfully in bicycling," Hall points out. The team and a men's 40+ Masters squad 22-year-old sprinter says the team would coached by Doc Counsilman. The crowd be like the National Resident Team, was on its feet, screaming the entire time, "except that all the participants would be and the race came down to the wire before treated as pros." Hall expects that other the women won by 2-tenths of a second, major corporations will sponsor teams after bettering the world best time for the event. Team Nissan proves a success. Beginning this year, says Meet Director • A meet series will be created as early Bob Hubbard, "We hope to be able to offer as this spring in which Team Nissan will prize money." compete against other top pro swimmers from around the world. The meet will be promoted professionally and will be tele- vised. Discussions are already underway on the window of opportunity we gained with the major television networks. "The from the Olympics. There's a lot more out first year we'll start off small," says Hall, there in terms of endorsements and appear- "probably just a three-meet circuit--per- ance opportunities." haps L.A., the San Francisco Bay Area and Flyers Byron Davis and Mark Hender- Phoenix. Then we hope to expand, adding son are also behind Hall. Says Davis, "It's cities like Oklahoma City. Basically, it will a great concept. Swimming is a lot like be like the World Cup." track.