A few years ago TYR was denied the approval on their "arm bands" also know as Aqua Bands.
The reason why...because they weren't part of the suit. And FINA considered it additional gear.
During the debut of TYR's aqua bands, Speedo was still in the midst of developing their latest one piece racer.
Apparently 'arm gripping' technology was allowed by FINA... as long as it was built into the suit.
The question still remains...is the LZR suit a suit? or is it gear?
It's a safe assumption that we will never see a world class sprinter without one in future competitions.
www.collegeswimming.com/.../
Even for Freshman?
I really can't speak for all freshmen. The freshman I know on the Freshman Teams are/were travel players. I was really referring to the varsity level though. No way do you make varsity without being on a travel squad. For swimming, there's only varsity. No non-USS swimmers are on any high school teams that I know of. Only sport I know of that is happens is cross country and track where there are just regular youth teams. I just watched my freshman son run his first varsity 2 mile race on the track. :groovy: Only "technology" involved was a $48 pair of spikes. Last year, I paid a total of $180 to sign him up for youth cross country and track. That's dirt cheap.
I think Leonard's rules are pretty much the same as the current FINA rules except for 4 and 6. I don't think they require permeability or uniformity of materials.
Men do most of the developmental work on the new suits
Do you know this for a fact? :confused:
I have a question that I'm not sure I've seen addressed here - do they help everyone equally? I've not yet tried a technical suit, mainly because I'd like to lose another 20 pounds before I do so. And I don't want to start a whole wetsuit debate, but I HATE wetsuits because I actually swim the same or slower with them on. People who I can normally beat by quite a bit without a wetsuit beat me when we both have wetsuits on. Whether or not you think wetsuits should be allowed, most people seem to agree that they make you faster. And yet, they don't for me (maybe because I have a perfect stroke :lmao:). So I was wondering the same thing about technical suits - do you think they "assist" some people more than others due to either body type or stroke technique?
This is also a problem with me, not so much that not everyone can afford it, that's true for all sports,
Not true about all of sports. Football, basketball, and soccer in particular. This is why those are the most popular sports: because playing it is attainable by the masses. A $550 suit contibutes to the unpopularity of the sport. That is why I don't like it.
That said, the one problem I do have with the LZR is that it is very expensive and thus some are left out.
This is also a problem with me, not so much that not everyone can afford it, that's true for all sports, but the fact that it is basically a disposable swimsuit with a hefty price tag.
I'm having a tough time thinking of another sport where the top of the line generally available (at some point with the LZR) item has zero longevity.
This is also a problem with me, not so much that not everyone can afford it, that's true for all sports, but the fact that it is basically a disposable swimsuit with a hefty price tag.
I'm having a tough time thinking of another sport where the top of the line generally available (at some point with the LZR) item has zero longevity.
Balking at price? That is quite a statement from someone who loves cycling! :)
About the male-female thing: it seems to me that the body suits are a more drastic change from male briefs compared to "conventional" female suits.
Of course, it may just be that men whine a lot more than women. (I am no exception.)
Are you kidding? Travel soccer costs the earth and 12 year old kids are running around in new $150 kangaroo skin cleats and $200 Adidas warm ups every season. Don't know a travel soccer player that hasn't had uber expensive private footskills lessons or goalie training. And then tack on the explosive performance classes they go to. Softball, baseball, and basketball have all become year round travel sports. No chance of doing a high school sport here if you haven't been on a travel team. So that just leaves football, which hogs virtually every college athletic scholarship. Running is the best for the masses. They let everyone participate in track or cross country no matter how fast or how slow.
Even for Freshman?
Balking at price? That is quite a statement from someone who loves cycling! :)
Yes, but if I spend a fortune on a bike I can use it for years, as opposed to this suit which has a lifespan of one or two meets.
What is with all of this costume business anyhow? Why not just call a spade a spade? It's a swimsuit for crying out loud.
That's what FINA calls it in the rules. They would probably just call it a swimsuit if it weren't for the full-body suits. They probably didn't no what to call what is effectively a body condom. ;)
I would argue that they are definitely "performance enhancing." Should they be banned?
No, because they are not inherently performance enhancing. They certainly make both training and racing more comfortable, but they don't inherently affect your speed in the water.
