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 !
In the absence of such, suit-lovers sometimes seem to want to assign ANY and ALL improvement to the suit.
Or maybe just TOUCHING a LZR suit, or glancing at one of their ads, before a race is good for 0.2%, no matter what you are wearing.
Bottom line: please note that I am NOT saying these suits are ineffective. (Outrageously overpriced and prone to failure, perhaps.) But as far as I can tell this 2% number is a guesstimate, pure and simple.
Now wait a minute! I just made a long list of factors that could effect race times (at least mine). The suit is definitely just one factor. However, I'm sure if I could just touch a LZR or two without ripping them, I'd drop a few tenths!
Kate Ziegler's PB is probably due to her sport psychologist, not her LZR. lol
In the absence of such, suit-lovers sometimes seem to want to assign ANY and ALL improvement to the suit.
Or maybe just TOUCHING a LZR suit, or glancing at one of their ads, before a race is good for 0.2%, no matter what you are wearing.
Bottom line: please note that I am NOT saying these suits are ineffective. (Outrageously overpriced and prone to failure, perhaps.) But as far as I can tell this 2% number is a guesstimate, pure and simple.
Now wait a minute! I just made a long list of factors that could effect race times (at least mine). The suit is definitely just one factor. However, I'm sure if I could just touch a LZR or two without ripping them, I'd drop a few tenths!
Kate Ziegler's PB is probably due to her sport psychologist, not her LZR. lol
