I just saw an article about the new FINA swim rules and I'm confused about the one relating to swimming unattached in a SCM or LCM meet. The new rule states that if a swimmer does enter a meet as unattached not only will his or her time not count for FINA top ten or a record, but that everyone in the meet will also have their times be unrecognized. Sounds a bit harsh.
Also, backstrokers can no longer finish underwater. How will that be judged? What if your entire body is submerged on the final lunge except for the toes of one foot completing a final kick?
Clarification from our rule gurus please.
both the broadness of this language and the timing of the change might lead one (logically) to assume it has to do with World entries
On the document explaining the new rules, the first sentence:
The 2013 USMS House of Delegates adopted the following changes to USMS rules to conform to rule changes adopted by the FINA Congress July 2013.
So not motivated by Worlds specifically. The situation with Worlds is confusing, I agree, though I am not sure that USMS has "the power to prevent it" since FINA sets the rules.
The scope was much broader than Worlds: FINA doesn't like unattached and threatened to stop recognizing ANY swims from ANY swimmer in ANY meet (not just Worlds) that contained UNAT swimmers. When the USMS solution was presented to them, they said it would be okay with them so we adopted it with enough wording to make sure that UNAT couldn't swim in official relays and the like.
If someone wants to be sure FINA will "like" their swims at Worlds, given their antipathy for the concept, my advice to that person is not to enter UNAT regardless of the wording of any USMS rule on the subject. It seems to me that ultimately the main guarantee USMS can offer is that the swim will be valid for USMS purposes.
both the broadness of this language and the timing of the change might lead one (logically) to assume it has to do with World entries
On the document explaining the new rules, the first sentence:
The 2013 USMS House of Delegates adopted the following changes to USMS rules to conform to rule changes adopted by the FINA Congress July 2013.
So not motivated by Worlds specifically. The situation with Worlds is confusing, I agree, though I am not sure that USMS has "the power to prevent it" since FINA sets the rules.
The scope was much broader than Worlds: FINA doesn't like unattached and threatened to stop recognizing ANY swims from ANY swimmer in ANY meet (not just Worlds) that contained UNAT swimmers. When the USMS solution was presented to them, they said it would be okay with them so we adopted it with enough wording to make sure that UNAT couldn't swim in official relays and the like.
If someone wants to be sure FINA will "like" their swims at Worlds, given their antipathy for the concept, my advice to that person is not to enter UNAT regardless of the wording of any USMS rule on the subject. It seems to me that ultimately the main guarantee USMS can offer is that the swim will be valid for USMS purposes.
