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.
Former Member
Um, actually, they do. It's not a pure democracy, but it certainly is a republic. At the convention each year, the LSCs all send their members of the House of Delegates. Those LSC representatives are generally elected from within the membership of each LSC.
-Rick
My point was that the individual USA-S member doesn't get to vote. The LSCs do this via an established process. My family has been part of USA-S for almost ten years and I don't remember ever being asked for my opinion on any topic by either the South Texas LSC or USA Swimming itself.
I wish they would have asked me about Mark Schubert in his dual role as USA-S national team head coach and a Speedo representative.
The suit debate seems so much like what was going on in cycling back in the eighties and early nineties. In one case (Graeme Obree's hour record bike) the UCI decided one year later that the position would no longer be legal. If that bike had been made by Trek or Bianchi, instead of being cobbled together from old washing machine parts by Obree himself, would it have remained legal? I guess no-one will ever know. One would hope that large companies like Speedo don't get favoured over small innovators like Blue Seventy.
In the case of clipless pedals, many organizers and officials started doing rolling starts in criteriums (I remember scrambling to get into my toe clips from a standing start) to avoid giving an unfair advantage to clipless pedal users. Crits are still often started this way, even though you'd be hard pressed to find a set of toe clips in the bunch any more.
There was so much debate about whether new things like aero bars were more about equipement than athletic ability. But of course, you still had to get on the thing and ride it, as was proven in the '99 Pan Am games, when a Cuban on a beat up old track bike took the kilo from a competitor on a wind-tunnel tested carbon fiber wonder bike. Even I, slow as I am, have had the experience of passing wetsuit wearers in an open water race while wearing "skin", so obviously no suit is going to turn a mediocre swimmer into a great one.
I think this will all settle down in a few years, guidelines on suits will become more clear, and we'll forget all about the controversy and just get back to swimming.
I think the material is the sticking point! If no NEW improvments are allowed then we will all be playing in All Star Converse basketball shoes!
I love those shoes.... though i may have allot of them, I never tried basketball in them though.
Indiana Swimming enacted a rule for their 12 and under swimmers as well. Why can boys can wear jammers down to their knees, but girls can't have suits that extend below the pelvis? I purchased my daughter a kneeskin for States and Zones last summer and was told she couldn't wear the suit effective fall season. There was no warning for parents who purchased these suits for their children. They are expensive and it's unfair to those of us who invested in them.
If they are going to enact a rule restricting suits, it should be the same for swimmers everywhere. When you are determining TOP 16, it's unfair to tell kids in some states they can wear them while swimmers in other states can't. Don't the LSC's realize that these kids are being ranked nationally and not just within their LSC? Also, parents should understand that there's no reason to purchase these suits for average swimmers. I thinks it's odd to see B/BB/A swimmers wearing Fast Skins, Tracers,etc. These suits are designed for the serious competitive swimmer who is excelling in State, Zones, and nationally. To restrict these kids from wearing suits that were designed to enhance their performnace just isn't fair. This is a small group of swimmers and these suits are part of their game. Swimming is expensive at this level and this is part of competing at that level. If someone going to Zones can't afford the suit, then maybe they should try raising the money, asking their coach who can probably purchase one at a discount, or asking family members to help out. To restrict these elite age group swimmers is going to far. The LSC's need to stay out of it and adhere to a national policy.
Regarding Dolphin 2:
1 - He's not a competitive swimmer (and I wonder if he actually can swim) yet he's an expert on tech suits.
2 - He doesn't have any children yet he thinks he's qualified to tell us how to be better parents.
I think the best response to his future ranting is to totally ignore him and not even respond to his posts.
Just my :2cents:
:agree::agree::agree:!
Even if they ban these suits, the slow kids will still be slow and their parents will still be neurotic.
:agree::agree::agree:!
It seems pretty simple to me:
Tech suits do work,
Natural ability, technique, training, motivation, power, etc. all still add more advantage,
(Many) parents will (& SHOULD) continue to be neurotic about their kids ... but that's their prerogative
People who don't have kids should confine their guidance to matters that don't involve kids ... ditto tech suits
