Yes - one more time it's about the suit:
Here is a comparison to 2004 and what it took to make top 16 (top 8 for the 400) over the first 7 events:
2004 listed first then 2008 then the approx. % drop
400 IM - 4:24.8 to 4:21.0 1.5%
100 Fly - 1:01.29 to 59.97 2%
400 Free - 3:55.0 to 3:51.4 1.6%
400 IM - 4:49.57 to 4:43.2 2.3%
100 Br - 1:04.0 to 1:02.36 2.5%
100 Bk - 1:04.12 to 1:02.31 2.6%
200 Free - 1:51.1 to 1:48.76 2.2%
Ok - to be fair, people are getting faster, but I would guess at least a 1.5% drop across the board for the suit -- that is net time !
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Former Member
Is it possible that the LZR helps in some events more than others?
One could hypothesize that it helps the most in sprint freestyle for example.
I still think the question of whether the new suits immediately help everyone who puts one one is less interesting than whether they help some people, and of course who they help the most and how. Also, how much one can learn to use them to best advantage. Purely as an example, it could be that they help people who have less than perfect body position more than people who don't. Or they reduce form drag in streamline to varying degree based on body type and style such that Kitajima gets a big advantage while some other swimmer who wears legskins doesn't.
Does anyone know how many of the WRs have been in full body suits versus legs-only suits?
Is it possible that the LZR helps in some events more than others?
One could hypothesize that it helps the most in sprint freestyle for example.
I still think the question of whether the new suits immediately help everyone who puts one one is less interesting than whether they help some people, and of course who they help the most and how. Also, how much one can learn to use them to best advantage. Purely as an example, it could be that they help people who have less than perfect body position more than people who don't. Or they reduce form drag in streamline to varying degree based on body type and style such that Kitajima gets a big advantage while some other swimmer who wears legskins doesn't.
Does anyone know how many of the WRs have been in full body suits versus legs-only suits?
