After seeing a woman break 24 seconds and I think we can stop the discussion of "IF" the LZR suit is faster and start thinking "how much faster".
The previous line of suits (Fastskin and so on) were pretty similiar to a shaved swimmer. Sure - they do feel like they make you float, but overall the times seemed to move along "in line" with what I would expect to see in terms of improvements in the sport. If the previous suits would have been that much faster than shaving, you would have never seen people just using the legskins. By the way - for us Masters swimmers there was always the added benefit of keeping in all the "extra layers of skin".
So how much faster are the LZR suits ?
If I had to guess based on the results so far, I would say 0.25 to 0.30 per 50 and double that for the 100. I can see the Bernard going 48 low in the 100 and I can see Sullivan getting close or just breaking the 50 record. It makes sense that Libby Lenton would swim a 24.2 or so in the 50.
I think one of the top regular teams out there should do a test - you need a good amount of world class swimmers training together to be able to do a test. Here is the test I would propose:
8-10 swimmers
2 days of testing
4x50 on 10 minutes all out
Day 1 - swim 2 with a Fastskin2 followed by 2 with the LZR
Day 2 - swim 2 with the LZR followed by 2 with the Fastskin2
Get the averages of all 10 swimmers - maybe drop the high and low and there you go.
Why do the test ? I would HAVE to know. Swimming is a big part of your life and you just set a massive PR using this new technology - my very first question would be " How much was me and how much was the suit?"?
another suit article
Swimmers still debating which suit to wear By The Associated Press
Posted Thursday, August 7, 2008 2:04 AM ET
BEIJING (AP) - The start of the Olympic swimming competition is two days away and many athletes still don't know which swimsuits they are going to wear.
Such pool powers as Italy, Japan and host China have each set aside ties with suppliers to give their swimmers the opportunity to wear Speedo's revolutionary LZR Racer or other comparable high-tech suits.
Of the 48 world records set this year, including both long- and short-course, 44 of them were accomplished by swimmers wearing the LZR.
Italy recently broke its long-standing contract with Arena and switched to a new Italian supplier, Jaked. Nike-sponsored China has followed suit, while Japan dropped its exclusive arrangement with domestic suppliers.
So who will wear which suit?
"You'll find out on the day we compete," Japan coach Koji Ueno said Thursday.
Defending 100- and 200-meter breaststroke champion Kosuke Kitajima announced in June that he had broken his contract with Mizuno and will use a Speedo during the games.
Italy's top swimmer, Filippo Magnini, the two-time 100m freestyle world champion, cut off a lucrative deal with Arena and will also wear Speedo. Massimiliano Rosolino, who has won 57 medals in Olympics, world and European championships, is still debating whether to wear Jaked or Arena.
The rest of Italy's team will use Jaked.
"The federation provides the suit but athletes are free to choose," said Italian team spokesman Francesco Passariello.
Laure Manaudou of France, who won three medals at the 2004 Athens Games, is one of the few top swimmers still using Arena.
While competitors criticized the LZR as being exceedingly buoyant and composed of too much plastic, swimming governing body FINA has consistently upheld the legality of Speedo's space-age design, which was developed with the help of NASA.
"FINA approved the suits in agreement with the manufacturers and that's the situation," FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu told The Associated Press.
"The only thing we can say is that we have followed the rules and done everything we can do. Sometimes controversy helps get more publicity for a sport. But it's still the athletes that have to do the swimming."
Marculescu said all athletes at the games will have access to any suit they want.
"All the major manufacturers will have special rooms set up at the pool where they can keep their equipment," Marculescu said. "They will be available to all of the athletes free of charge."
Magnini has proposed a return to wearing only the skimpy suits that cover swimmers' midsections.
"I'd be ready to race tomorrow with the little suits, if everyone else is," Magnini said. "We can't continue going down this road."
But FINA doesn't appear about to reverse itself.
"Whenever new swimsuits come out there are always various opinions," Marculescu said. "We've already made our decision."
Copyright 2008 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
another suit article
Swimmers still debating which suit to wear By The Associated Press
Posted Thursday, August 7, 2008 2:04 AM ET
BEIJING (AP) - The start of the Olympic swimming competition is two days away and many athletes still don't know which swimsuits they are going to wear.
Such pool powers as Italy, Japan and host China have each set aside ties with suppliers to give their swimmers the opportunity to wear Speedo's revolutionary LZR Racer or other comparable high-tech suits.
Of the 48 world records set this year, including both long- and short-course, 44 of them were accomplished by swimmers wearing the LZR.
Italy recently broke its long-standing contract with Arena and switched to a new Italian supplier, Jaked. Nike-sponsored China has followed suit, while Japan dropped its exclusive arrangement with domestic suppliers.
So who will wear which suit?
"You'll find out on the day we compete," Japan coach Koji Ueno said Thursday.
Defending 100- and 200-meter breaststroke champion Kosuke Kitajima announced in June that he had broken his contract with Mizuno and will use a Speedo during the games.
Italy's top swimmer, Filippo Magnini, the two-time 100m freestyle world champion, cut off a lucrative deal with Arena and will also wear Speedo. Massimiliano Rosolino, who has won 57 medals in Olympics, world and European championships, is still debating whether to wear Jaked or Arena.
The rest of Italy's team will use Jaked.
"The federation provides the suit but athletes are free to choose," said Italian team spokesman Francesco Passariello.
Laure Manaudou of France, who won three medals at the 2004 Athens Games, is one of the few top swimmers still using Arena.
While competitors criticized the LZR as being exceedingly buoyant and composed of too much plastic, swimming governing body FINA has consistently upheld the legality of Speedo's space-age design, which was developed with the help of NASA.
"FINA approved the suits in agreement with the manufacturers and that's the situation," FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu told The Associated Press.
"The only thing we can say is that we have followed the rules and done everything we can do. Sometimes controversy helps get more publicity for a sport. But it's still the athletes that have to do the swimming."
Marculescu said all athletes at the games will have access to any suit they want.
"All the major manufacturers will have special rooms set up at the pool where they can keep their equipment," Marculescu said. "They will be available to all of the athletes free of charge."
Magnini has proposed a return to wearing only the skimpy suits that cover swimmers' midsections.
"I'd be ready to race tomorrow with the little suits, if everyone else is," Magnini said. "We can't continue going down this road."
But FINA doesn't appear about to reverse itself.
"Whenever new swimsuits come out there are always various opinions," Marculescu said. "We've already made our decision."
Copyright 2008 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
