Is Swimming Still An Athletic Activity Or Is It Now A Mechanized Sport?
Former Member
Yeah, I know I’m going to get a lot of really negative comments on this one, but I ran across this article on the mechanical engineering techniques (computational hydrodynamic analysis) involved in the design of the FastSkin II suits:
www.fluent.com/.../pr69.htm
I can see where this “suit technology” approach can be of great advantage if you’re into some kind of commercial swimming or diving work, or in a military application that requires personnel swimmers involved in amphibious operations (such as the Navy Seals or the Marines).
And maybe, the Olympics and FINA should have a “RoboSwimmer” division (something similar to NASCAR) where all the latest speed enhancing/drag reducing and flotation assisting gadgets and gimmicks can be shown off.
Hey -eventually, the writers at MAD Magazine will catch onto this suit technology craze and come up with some ideas of their own such as “bubble wrap” skin (for enhanced buoyancy), a built in snorkel (no more hassle of timed breathing you had to learn back in Swimming 101-A), and of course -body fins- (to produce wake turbulence) and “wipe out” anyone who might be catching up in the adjacent lanes behind you!
I’m not kidding either - this issue is becoming hotly debated by swimming coaches too:
www-rohan.sdsu.edu/.../table.htm
But seriously, FastSkin II just amounts to another commercial product that anyone can go out and buy for the money. But in the end, the person with the real competitive edge is going to be one who has true athletic ability and has spent the more time practicing in the pool than anyone else in the race.
I would hope that we can stay with the traditional athletic approach instead of who's the most technology advanced.
Happy Swimming
Dolphin 2
:D
Parents
Former Member
Originally posted by meldyck
This line of questioning always intrigues me because it seems pretty much to be limited to swimming. To put it into context I wonder how many bikers would like to go back to 40 pound 3-speed bikes? My racing mountain bike weighs half that. Or, how many elite Nordic skiers would like to give up graphite technology for bamboo poles and wooden skiis? My racing skiis are way faster than those and I wouldn't want to change back.
Vaulting poles are light weight, running shoes are 'engineered', and the list goes on...
But, closer to the subject, most of us know that the earliest swimmers didn't even have access to Speedo briefs. I wouldn't want to compete in a wool suit.
Your analogy is not a good one. In bike racing, it is the bikes that are doing the racing. In swim racing, it is supposed to be the swimmers who are doing the racing. Throughout most of the history of competitive swimming, the goal of swimsuit design was to minimize the effect that the suit had on a swimmer's performance. Unfortunately, some are now trying to make the suit into a performance aid and to maximize its effect on a swimmer's performance.
Bob
Originally posted by meldyck
This line of questioning always intrigues me because it seems pretty much to be limited to swimming. To put it into context I wonder how many bikers would like to go back to 40 pound 3-speed bikes? My racing mountain bike weighs half that. Or, how many elite Nordic skiers would like to give up graphite technology for bamboo poles and wooden skiis? My racing skiis are way faster than those and I wouldn't want to change back.
Vaulting poles are light weight, running shoes are 'engineered', and the list goes on...
But, closer to the subject, most of us know that the earliest swimmers didn't even have access to Speedo briefs. I wouldn't want to compete in a wool suit.
Your analogy is not a good one. In bike racing, it is the bikes that are doing the racing. In swim racing, it is supposed to be the swimmers who are doing the racing. Throughout most of the history of competitive swimming, the goal of swimsuit design was to minimize the effect that the suit had on a swimmer's performance. Unfortunately, some are now trying to make the suit into a performance aid and to maximize its effect on a swimmer's performance.
Bob
