Ban the tech suits?

Swimming World Magazine Endorses Swimsuit Restrictions in February Issue -- February 2, 2009 PHOENIX, Arizona, February 2. IN the February A Voice for the Sport column, Swimming World Magazine endorses swimsuit restrictions heading into a speedsuit summit taking place on Feb. 20 in Switzerland. A Voice for the Sport, February 2009 On April 10 last year, Swimming World Magazine first reported that a genie, wearing a black, full-body, custom-fitted swimsuit, had left its bottle and that Pandora's box was found open next to wet footprints. The "genie" represented swimsuit technology, while "Pandora's box" obviously represented all the issues surrounding the approval, regulation and implementation of the genie's technology. Since then, athletes using the new racing suits have broken an unprecedented 108 world records! In addition, countless national, meet and club records have been shattered during the same time period. It is not an overstatement to say that the new swimsuits have singlehandedly accelerated the natural progression of record setting and has created a new class of swimmers whose times cannot be fairly compared to past performances. Equally, it is not an understatement to say that the history of the sport—from a time performance perspective—has been disconnected. It is as monumental as B.C. separates A.D. in world history or the New Testament vs. the Old Testament. 2008 will always be seen as a demarcation point for the sport of swimming. Turning back the clock is impossible. However, we can adjust the clock going forward so that times are relative to an athlete's ability and not to his or her attire. To further this end, Swimming World Magazine endorses USA Swimming's proposal to FINA, the world governing body for international swimming, to regulate swimsuit technology in competition. USA Swimming wants FINA to amend the amount of material that covers an athlete's body. Currently, the coverage rule allows for a swimmer to compete in the element of water while 95 percent of his or her body never gets wet. Swimmers should be one with their element. The proposal asks that swimsuits "not cover the neck, extend past the shoulder nor past the knee." Currently, there is no rule that limits the number of swimsuits that an athlete can wear in competition. Therefore, a growing number of athletes are wearing multiple suits to combine different technologies. One suit is often worn as a first layer to provide compression technology. A second suit is layered to recruit muscle groups and a final layer to provide streamline benefits. Combined, the three suits exploit the current rules to enhance a swimmer's performance in the water even further. The new proposal strictly limits an athlete to one suit in competition. If passed, it will effectively close this loophole. USA Swimming concludes its proposal by requesting that any new technology be available to all competitors 12 months before the start of the Summer Olympic Games. Additional proposals may come forward prior to an important upcoming meeting, Feb. 20, in Lausanne with swimwear manufacturers, coaches and FINA officials—some of which may be separate standards for open water swimsuits and pool competition swimsuits, defining compression and redefining buoyancy. Compression has no definition within current FINA swimsuit rules, and research to verify buoyancy is non-existent. Also, products approved for open water competition have now made their way into the competition pool. Open water competition is a different animal whose outcome is based on placement and not on a final time. The need for different material properties and coverage may have merit. However, to bring all these standards within one rule for both competitions may do a disservice to both. It is our hope and the hope of many in the swimming community that FINA will vote to amend its rules prior to the World Championships in Rome.

Swimming World Magazine Endorses Swimsuit Restrictions in February Issue -- February 2, 2009 PHOENIX, Arizona, February 2. IN the February A Voice for the Sport column, Swimming World Magazine endorses swimsuit restrictions heading into a speedsuit summit taking place on Feb. 20 in Switzerland. A Voice for the Sport, February 2009 On April 10 last year, Swimming World Magazine first reported that a genie, wearing a black, full-body, custom-fitted swimsuit, had left its bottle and that Pandora's box was found open next to wet footprints. The "genie" represented swimsuit technology, while "Pandora's box" obviously represented all the issues surrounding the approval, regulation and implementation of the genie's technology. Since then, athletes using the new racing suits have broken an unprecedented 108 world records! In addition, countless national, meet and club records have been shattered during the same time period. It is not an overstatement to say that the new swimsuits have singlehandedly accelerated the natural progression of record setting and has created a new class of swimmers whose times cannot be fairly compared to past performances. Equally, it is not an understatement to say that the history of the sport—from a time performance perspective—has been disconnected. It is as monumental as B.C. separates A.D. in world history or the New Testament vs. the Old Testament. 2008 will always be seen as a demarcation point for the sport of swimming. Turning back the clock is impossible. However, we can adjust the clock going forward so that times are relative to an athlete's ability and not to his or her attire. To further this end, Swimming World Magazine endorses USA Swimming's proposal to FINA, the world governing body for international swimming, to regulate swimsuit technology in competition. USA Swimming wants FINA to amend the amount of material that covers an athlete's body. Currently, the coverage rule allows for a swimmer to compete in the element of water while 95 percent of his or her body never gets wet. Swimmers should be one with their element. The proposal asks that swimsuits "not cover the neck, extend past the shoulder nor past the knee." Currently, there is no rule that limits the number of swimsuits that an athlete can wear in competition. Therefore, a growing number of athletes are wearing multiple suits to combine different technologies. One suit is often worn as a first layer to provide compression technology. A second suit is layered to recruit muscle groups and a final layer to provide streamline benefits. Combined, the three suits exploit the current rules to enhance a swimmer's performance in the water even further. The new proposal strictly limits an athlete to one suit in competition. If passed, it will effectively close this loophole. USA Swimming concludes its proposal by requesting that any new technology be available to all competitors 12 months before the start of the Summer Olympic Games. Additional proposals may come forward prior to an important upcoming meeting, Feb. 20, in Lausanne with swimwear manufacturers, coaches and FINA officials—some of which may be separate standards for open water swimsuits and pool competition swimsuits, defining compression and redefining buoyancy. Compression has no definition within current FINA swimsuit rules, and research to verify buoyancy is non-existent. Also, products approved for open water competition have now made their way into the competition pool. Open water competition is a different animal whose outcome is based on placement and not on a final time. The need for different material properties and coverage may have merit. However, to bring all these standards within one rule for both competitions may do a disservice to both. It is our hope and the hope of many in the swimming community that FINA will vote to amend its rules prior to the World Championships in Rome.