...and many complained about the LAZR prior to the Olympics, but history cannot be rewritten.
Since they have already (by the report) used this suit in competitions where swimmers have broken records, are they also suggesting that those records are now in question? I did not read anything about that in the article.
This all seems very strange to me. Blue Seventy has developed a superior product, all this from a relatively small company in New Zealand. Their suits are FINA-approved (mine had the FINA logo on it) within the rules set by it. I see this akin to what triathlon and other sports went through years ago. Look at the equipment those athletes have to purchase and the advances in materials over the years.
From the outside this is curious to observe, a small upstart starts taking it to the established players in the market. This upsets many and some walk-off in a huff, others hurry to get FINA to protect them. Not naming names but we can fill in the blanks. This is healthy and a product of innovation, which is something human beings are good at.
I can see where one could argue, from an economic standpoint, that limiting/banning/restricting performance suits in High School, Age Group, and College swimming is a wise move. That seems a reasonable approach given the fragile state of (primarily men's) collegiate swimming these days. But on an international level with top-notch athletes backed by their national swimming federations it seems unduly restrictive.
Plus, on a masters level, if you can afford to swim several months out of the year and travel to Nationals, you can put down $317 for a Blue Seventy Nero Comp. That's not even a set of tires for most cars...
Anyway, technological innovation with gear is a fact of life. We can enjoy the benefits of it, when appropriate as stated above, or not. So long as competition is open and access to equipment is not unduly restricted, I say let innovation continue.
In the end, you have to move your arms and kick you legs. The suit can't swim the race for you...
What, you don't feel like you're sitting on a "knife's edge," Doug?
Completely agree with your sentiments. Maybe Speedo is underwriting the effort to ban the B70s ...
That article contains some silly statements.
I happen to believe the B70 DOES provide a small amount of flotation
Agreed. I certainly felt some float the first time I wore it, but it was also the first time I wore a full body suit so I have no basis for comparison.
This all seems very strange to me. Blue Seventy has developed a superior product, all this from a relatively small company in New Zealand ... From the outside this is curious to observe, a small upstart starts taking it to the established players in the market. This upsets many and some walk-off in a huff, others hurry to get FINA to protect them.
This sounds sooo similar to so many business stories out there. Big companies are always threatened by more nimble & more innovative competitors.
Anyway, technological innovation with gear is a fact of life.
Absolutely ... remember when we only had nylon suits and then came lycra and then those magical "paper suits?" How about fog-free goggles so you could actually see who you were racing at the end of the mile? How about even goggles in the first place?
Think also about the evolution of training gear that benefits our performance, but doesn't appear "in the pool" on competition day.
Innovation is the lifeblood of progress ...
I have both a LZR and a Nero Comp.I definitely feel more flotation from the Nero.All the tech suits from the FS-I on provide flotation,B-70 just found a way to do it better.
That article contains some silly statements.
Neoprene is a synthetic rubber. Only when it is used in a foamed form does it provide flotation. Neoprene used in wetsuits is foam. Whatever substance is used in the B70 is not foamed. It is a coating over lycra or lycra-like fabric.
I happen to believe the B70 DOES provide a small amount of flotation - but not because the suit itself floats. I think the suit's rubber coating traps a small amount of air in the lycra fabric. I think the LZR has a similar property - but the LZR doesn't coat all of the fabric - just specific sections.
(I have a B70 and used it for the first time two weeks ago)
OK - let's get this right. Coaches are trying to get LEN to ban the suit - NOT LEN trying to get FINA to ban.
This just seems very silly - so the LZR and whatever Arena now has are fine - but the Blue70 is the bad guy ? I have worn both and while they are different - they appear to be equally "fast".
This guy Craig Lord is really over the top on the entire issue - "The future of the sport and its survival as a serious player in international sport now depends on it."
I am, and will probably always be, skeptical about the suit. Clay Britt bought one and tested it out at a meet over the summer. I was with him as he took it out of the box for the first time and the thing smelled exactly like my Ironman Instinct wetsuit, which was the comment from every one of us who was with him. He then nearly broke the m45-49 50 back record and came pretty close to the 100 - not bad for having decided to swim the meet just that morning (this was a deck-enter only meet) and training ~1500 3-4x a month.
This goes for the LZR as well.
As long as there are plenty of stories like this, as well those who are dropping ridiculous amounts of time in a manner of weeks without shaving and/or tapering, I will continue my skepticism and support of both the b70s and LZRs being banned.
