I picked "supersuits" because that is what Mr. Freeze called his suit in the movie The Incredibles.....:D
Rather than add this to one of the Dara Torres threads (!), I decided to post here some analysis I did of several races at Olympic Trials. At least one person here asserts the super suits are worth 2-5% of improvement. I don't believe there is any data to show that - regardless of what swimmers said about their experience in the suits. Note that I do not doubt the suits are faster - I just don't believe they alone can produce a 2-5% improvement in performance.
I looked at six events at OTs: men's 100 free, 200 free, and 200 fly; women's 100 free, 200 free, and 200 back. The swimmers in these races were likely to wear a bodysuit. We all saw that Phelps and several others wore legskins in their IM, back, and breaststroke races.
For these races I tracked the swims of all swimmers that qualified for semi-finals because they had at least two swims at OTs. I picked races shorter than 400s because 400s didn't have semis. I assume the swimmers that make it to semis are "elite" swimmers. They should have easily attained trials cuts and there are reasonable odds they didn't have to taper to get their cuts. These swimmers are likely to be more experienced and less likely to have a shockingly good swim coming from nowhere. I picked their best swim (prelims, semis, and finals), compared to their qualifying time, and calculated the % improvement (or not) for each swimmer, then the field.
Of course I assume all of these swimmers wore a LZR, Tracer, or B70. I watched every OT finals and I only remember one swimmer in a FS-Pro.
What I found:
The average drop in time was:
Men's 100 free: 1.0%
Men's 200 free: 0.97%
Men's 200 fly: 0.90%
Women's 100 free: 0.21%
Women's 200 free: 0.53%
Women's 200 back: 1.51%
The best % improvement in time was Morgan Scroggy: -3.62% in 200 back.
The worst % performance was Amanda Weir: +2.30% in 100 free.
The best male % improvement was Scott Robison: -3.43% in 200 free
The worst male % performance was Eddie Erazo: +1.46% in 200 fly
78% of these swimmers swam at least one time faster than their qualifying time.
21% of these swimmer swam slower than their qualifying time.
1 swimmer's best time (Klete Keller) was exactly his qualifying time (200 free).
15% of the swimmers improved > 2% in one of these events. These swims were:
Alex Righi -100 free, 2.38%
Scot Robison - 200 free, 3.43% (came out of heat 3)
Larsen Jensen - 200 free, 2.57%
Danny Beal - 200 free, 2.11%
Ricky Berens - 200 free, 2.00%
Andrew Callahan - 200 fly, 2.82%
Curtis Dauw - 200 fly, 2.74%
Gil Stovall - 200 fly, 2.33%
Matt Patton - 200 fly, 2.10%
Morgan Scroggy - 200 back, 3.62%
Elizabeth Beisel - 200 back, 3.06%
Bonnie Brandon - 200 back, 2.58%
Erica Meissner - 200 back, 2.44%
Caitlin Iverson - 200 back, 2.10%
I didn't compare to the 2004 Olympic Trials because that would take more work and I don't know if the data is readily available. We do know that the 2004 trials were swum outdoors in a shallower pool. No LZRs. 6 WRs vs. 9 WRs in 2008. The USA-S site says: "According to USA Swimming statistics, almost half the swimmers competing at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials – or 44 percent – swam lifetime bests at this meet. That number breaks down to 39 percent of women swimming lifetime bests, and 49 percent of men swimming lifetime bests throughout the course of the meet." I expect the elite swimmers to perform better than the field as a whole - mainly because they didn't have to scramble to make their cuts.
You guys/gals can form your own opinions. My guess is that these improvements are in the general range of typical USA OT swims. The 2008 Trials weren't incredibly fast compared to past trials. The big stars (Phelps, Coughlin, Hoff, Lochte) generally didn't improve much from their best times - probably because they didn't taper fully for trials.
i135.photobucket.com/.../OTM100Free.jpgi135.photobucket.com/.../OTM200Free.jpgi135.photobucket.com/.../OTM200Fly.jpgi135.photobucket.com/.../OTW100Free.jpgi135.photobucket.com/.../OTW200Free.jpgi135.photobucket.com/.../OTW200Back.jpg
Former Member
To achieve such an effect, your body position must really suck then... :)
It might be a body shape issue.
Swimmer: Ok Suits – here is the deal, I am totally confused on what to wear at the meet this Sunday, so I am going to ask you to help me. Give me your best shot.
Speedo Fastskin Pro (SFP): Come on, this is simple. You used me at the Masters Nationals and at your last big meet. You swam fast both times – I am proven, I am reliable and you know you can actually fit into me in less than 20 minutes.
Blue Seventy (B70): Not so fast you Speedo scum. You may have the name recognition, but I am the new kid on the block. You should go with the newest fastest suit that is actually available.
SPEEDO and TYR suits: Who let the wetsuit into this. He looks and feels like a freaking seal. Go back to your triathlons geeks and help them swim a 1500 in less than 30 minutes. Don’t start confusing OUR swimmers.
B70: New kid ? I was the one that started the entire trend. You guys are the new ones – your new suits are not even available yet. I started all this in 2006 at the Ironman. We brought the first of these suits at that Ironman and then you guys started copying us last year. And those triathlon “geeks” can kick your swimmers behind any time.
TYR: That is just a bunch of bull – I am going to sue you now.
B70: I went a 21.1 in practice with you – I think that speaks for itself.
LZR: I don’t even know why we are having this discussion.
B70: you are not even available yet – come back in July, no September, oh no they changed the date again – it’s now October.
TYR: Yeah – and by that time I am going to own Speedo, because I am going to sue everybody.
Nike: Can I play too – you got me from one of the Nike swimmers, but nobody wants to swim with me.
Everybody: That is because you STINK – even people sponsored by Nike don’t want to wear you. This is not golf or basketball and Cullen Jones is not Tiger or Michael. So sit over there and shut up.
LZR: I have one more word to say.
B70: what’s that ? Ripping
TYR: oh no – it’s “not before 2009”
SFP: let me guess “2%”
EVERYBODY: Just be quiet LZR, you may be the badest suit out there, but nobody in Masters can get one of you .
LZR: EBAY EBAY EBAY EBAY EBAY
TYR: Swimmer, if you are wearing an LZR, I am going to sue you.
B70: Think about what you are doing, a USED suit ? I hope somebody peed in it.
To achieve such an effect, your body position must really suck then... :)
No doubt about it Chris...in season unrested I swim slow...always have being a big guy. So to not have the "punishment" I'm accustomed to the last 15m of a race was a strangely pleasant suprise!
Ande...typically about 1 second in the 50, 2-2.5 in the 100, 4-6 in the 200 & as much as 15 seconds in the 500. I'm not expecting these kinds of drops because the suit is such a factor....but we'll see.
Hoch...do you write for Letterman?!
Swimmer: Ok Suits – here is the deal, I am totally confused on what to wear at the meet this Sunday, so I am going to ask you to help me. Give me your best shot.
Speedo Fastskin Pro (SFP): Come on, this is simple. You used me at the Masters Nationals and at your last big meet. You swam fast both times – I am proven, I am reliable and you know you can actually fit into me in less than 20 minutes.
Blue Seventy (B70): Not so fast you Speedo scum. You may have the name recognition, but I am the new kid on the block. You should go with the newest fastest suit that is actually available.
SPEEDO and TYR suits: Who let the wetsuit into this. He looks and feels like a freaking seal. Go back to your triathlons geeks and help them swim a 1500 in less than 30 minutes. Don’t start confusing OUR swimmers.
B70: New kid ? I was the one that started the entire trend. You guys are the new ones – your new suits are not even available yet. I started all this in 2006 at the Ironman. We brought the first of these suits at that Ironman and then you guys started copying us last year. And those triathlon “geeks” can kick your swimmers behind any time.
TYR: That is just a bunch of bull – I am going to sue you now.
B70: I went a 21.1 in practice with you – I think that speaks for itself.
LZR: I don’t even know why we are having this discussion.
B70: you are not even available yet – come back in July, no September, oh no they changed the date again – it’s now October.
TYR: Yeah – and by that time I am going to own Speedo, because I am going to sue everybody.
Nike: Can I play too – you got me from one of the Nike swimmers, but nobody wants to swim with me.
Everybody: That is because you STINK – even people sponsored by Nike don’t want to wear you. This is not golf or basketball and Cullen Jones is not Tiger or Michael. So sit over there and shut up.
LZR: I have one more word to say.
B70: what’s that ? Ripping
TYR: oh no – it’s “not before 2009”
SFP: let me guess “2%”
EVERYBODY: Just be quiet LZR, you may be the badest suit out there, but nobody in Masters can get one of you .
LZR: EBAY EBAY EBAY EBAY EBAY
TYR: Swimmer, if you are wearing an LZR, I am going to sue you.
B70: Think about what you are doing, a USED suit ? I hope somebody peed in it.
That's hilarious.....too much time on your hands? Or always this creative?
