Brutal Story about swim quals

Maybe this is the fairest way to select Olympic team members, but it bothers me that sometimes a world record is set in one session, and that person comes in third in the next session and is eliminated.
There is pacing and tapering for big events and athletes need to peak at the right time-it's a brutal process, and sometimes the peak is at the trials instead of the Olympics. In some events you have to be better to make the team than to win the event at the Olympics, and they might not perform as well at the Olympics.
I don't know how it could be done any better, but it still bothers me when a minor injury, a misstep, or an off day keeps a potential gold medal winner off the team.
 
The problem is with the stupidity of only allowing the US to bring two swimmers in each event. If we have the four best athletes in the world in an event, we should be able to send all four of them. Same for any country in any event.
 
Trials can be just crushing. I am still shocked over Brendan Hansen not qualifying in the 200BR. He still has a spot on the team, but not in "his" event.
 
This meet has been great to watch. I have loved every minute of it. I wish they'd give some more of the underwater shots to see the stroke better.
 
I've been loving every minute of it. This is what sports is all about. I feel crushed for the guys that just barely miss out, but it becomes worth it to see the underdog guy that barely beat him. I love to see upsets in any sport.

Nine times out of ten the Patriots beat the Giants, but that doesn't matter for **** because they didn't beat them on the night it counted the most. Same in Omaha.

It does suck when our guys are on the losing end, but as a whole, the event has been quite a spectacle. I like that Grevers chose to compete for a spot on the US team instead of the Netherlands, knowing it would be harder to make.

I also like to see people winning without the LZR suit. I'm not opposed to the suit, nothing wrong with wearing it at all, but I just like seeing someone else beat a guy who might have a technical advantage. It's like Rocky punching a slab of beef while Drago was in the lab covered in electrodes and surrounded by shiny workout equipment.

Score one for doing it old school.
 
I can see the system is fair, and it eliminates favoritism, politicing, cronyism, etc.
But it is flat out stupid to leave Tyson Gay, the huge favorite to win a gold medal, out of the the 200 meters because he got a cramp in a qualifying race in the Olympic trials. He is not the only case like this, either.
 
The coach of each team should be able to add a couple of "wild cards" for special cases like the Tyson Gay injury.
I think the coaches select some or most of some of the teams, like gymnastics(?).
 
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