From New Scientist: "... Records have been tumbling in other sports too, but none at this rate. What's going on? Have the swimmers found some new technique to propel them more efficiently through the water? Are they training more intensively? Or is it down to sheer competitiveness? The answer is more prosaic.The Beijing pool is 3 metres deep, a metre deeper than standard competitive pools. The extra depth helps dissipate the turbulence caused by the swimmer's movement, causing less resistance. In other words, they are being helped by the architecture. ..." [Link]
Too simple: Blame it on lane lines, goggles, caps, nutrition, technique, blah, blah, blah, or more accurately, science and natural selection!
