https://academics.hamilton.edu/documents/themundanityofexcellence.pdf
The Qualitative differences
- Attention to detail. The higher levels did not train more (qualitative) or trained, maybe 3 hours a day. The quality and intent of that training was high.
- They enjoyed the ‘hated’ parts of swimming, the tough practices and ‘boring’ details of strokes.
Moving through ranks is not a matter of quantitative accumulation but qualitative ‘jumps’. Changing to a new team, a change of attitude or discipline. If the kind of work remains the same, no major differences occur.