I have to agree with you.
Our daughter is a top tier ranked HS swim sprinter going to college on scholarship. She will swim in the NCAAs as a freshman. Her brothers before her were state champ sprinters.
But she will not take that much time off, and she will not swim faster than the top male sprinters. It’s just fact.
We have been in competitive swimming for nearly two decades .
I work as a stroke and turn judge and timer.
As parents of top tier swimmers we know what swimmers go through to prep for key events. We also know what they can and can’t do within reason.
What happened here defies natural biology of both an individual swimmer’s capabilities and gender.
While she may get away with it, I don’t think she earned it.
Like you my daughter swam, on the 200IM, 400IM, 200 back and long events. Running negative splits would be the warning sign right away.
Been there before with the girls like you, good luck with the swimming life, it was addictive.