www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/.../19679.asp
The most substantial change, of course, is that suits would no longer be allowed to extend past the knee.
My personal opinion is this is sort of an arbitrary change. What really should be changed--if anything--is what types of materials are allowed and maybe testing protocol to approve a suit. I don't really think requiring suits to end at the knees would affect much.
The point is to try to keep the financial side of Age Group swimming in check. We nearly voted on this in New England, but learned that it was pending nationally, so we waited. The coaches are making lots of noise because there are lots and lots of parents out there of very young swimmers who are insisting on buying little Johnny or Jenny the latest LZR suit for hundreds and hundreds of dollars. 10-year-old Johnny doesn't need that suit. It's a waste of money. The kids at that level of competition are seeing the kid in the next lane wearing the suit, and then they want one.
The important part is that it's for age group swimming only. For 12-year-old swimmers who are swimming at the "Senior" or "Open" speed at the LSC level, and going to LSC Senior meets, etc... they have a higher understanding of what's going on, and nobody is objecting to those kids wearing the expensive suits, because there is the belief that they understand the cost/benefit equation better.
-Rick
The point is to try to keep the financial side of Age Group swimming in check. We nearly voted on this in New England, but learned that it was pending nationally, so we waited. The coaches are making lots of noise because there are lots and lots of parents out there of very young swimmers who are insisting on buying little Johnny or Jenny the latest LZR suit for hundreds and hundreds of dollars. 10-year-old Johnny doesn't need that suit. It's a waste of money. The kids at that level of competition are seeing the kid in the next lane wearing the suit, and then they want one.
The important part is that it's for age group swimming only. For 12-year-old swimmers who are swimming at the "Senior" or "Open" speed at the LSC level, and going to LSC Senior meets, etc... they have a higher understanding of what's going on, and nobody is objecting to those kids wearing the expensive suits, because there is the belief that they understand the cost/benefit equation better.
-Rick
