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 !
But let's not just focus on the suits.
How about all the other factors that combine to make up a 'fast' pool?
1) Air quality
2) Water temperature
3) water density
4) currents - with 1million+ gallons of water you will have currents but they will be in tenths of knots.
5) Water purity
6) water depth -
7) Blocks - size, texture, angle
8) Air temperature
9) Air density
just to list a few. Yes, most of these factors are in the tenths of % but still when a swim is measured in 100ths of a second and you are talking 1 minute + events, those are statistically significant factors. Yes, modern swim suits are faster but so are modern pool designs.
But let's not just focus on the suits.
How about all the other factors that combine to make up a 'fast' pool?
1) Air quality
2) Water temperature
3) water density
4) currents - with 1million+ gallons of water you will have currents but they will be in tenths of knots.
5) Water purity
6) water depth -
7) Blocks - size, texture, angle
8) Air temperature
9) Air density
just to list a few. Yes, most of these factors are in the tenths of % but still when a swim is measured in 100ths of a second and you are talking 1 minute + events, those are statistically significant factors. Yes, modern swim suits are faster but so are modern pool designs.
