Neil Walker, only the third man in history to win seven medals at a major international competition, will wear a bodysuit that doesn't cover his arms. He only wishes the move to legalize the new attire had come sooner. It was sort of crash and burn to get ready for the trials. We had to hurry up and get used to it. Much like the format used in track and field, only the fastest swimmers on their particular day can expect a trip to Sydney.
Nothing is taken for granted.
Everybody is on level ground. Sure, I'm the world record-holder. But there's nothing gained from that here. The format has been altered, however, with a semifinal round added in most events between the preliminaries and finals. For swimmers like Walker who are planning to compete in several events, the extra swim could take a toll.