Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

Former Member — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:58:51 GMT

I agree, I think that was exactly the reason he wore an older (approved suit). So if the Jaked suit gets banned...does UT win the 2009 NCAA title?

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

Former Member — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:56:45 GMT

something I find interesting: why did Bernard where the old suit in finals? I think the answer is pretty evident, he wanted to reset the record in a currently approved suit. The fact that he wasn't even close...well... that bothers me. I agree, I think that was exactly the reason he wore an older (approved suit).

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

Former Member — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:46:12 GMT

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

taruky — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 05:03:38 GMT

I am curious about how some of these guys with dropped elbows and low catch points can go so fast. Are they fast despite the stroke flaw? Or is it one of those deals where if you have the strength to do it you can go faster. Guy has massive shoulders, I'm sure his shoulders bear the brunt of the work.

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

Former Member — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:30:57 GMT

Do the people here really believe there is that much difference between the leading tech suits? Since Bernard got beat in finals does that mean his Arena suit got slower in that race? And Bousquet's got faster? The biggest variable BY FAR is the swimmer. Warren says we already know what is inside the suit. But the performance of what is inside the suit changes by day, by hour, etc. Human performance is not consistent nor repeatable enough to simply say Bernards suit now establishes "the fastest."

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

rtodd — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 03:18:59 GMT

I'll be impressed to see him just make the team. I'll return to that thought after Charlotte. So being 0.2 seconds behind the world record holder (and 0.5 seconds off the actual record) in the 4x100 after swimming a hard 200 30 minutes earlier didn't make that much of an impression? Maybe I am off my rocker but Bowman will probably make him break it in practice before he rolls it out.

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

ande — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 02:58:11 GMT

this WR might not stand Bernard World Record Must Not Be Approved By FINA -- April 24, 2009 PHOENIX, Arizona, April 24. ACCORDING to Craig Lord with SwimNews.com, a spokesman for FINA confirmed that, "FINA will publish a list of all approved suits sometime in May" and acknowledged that, "Alain Bernard (FRA) raced to a world record of 46.96 in the 100m freestyle at French nationals in an Arena suit, the X-Glide, that has not yet been approved for use in competition." FINA rules that govern suits clearly state that a suit must be approved by FINA for a world record to stand. Lord goes on to report that the "independent testing process currently being carried out in a laboratory at Lausanne University in Switzerland is in the midst of compiling a list of ticks and possibly crosses. That work will translate to a list of approved suits ‘within a couple of weeks, probably'". Craig Lord continues to monitor every move that surrounds the swimsuit controversy.

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

Former Member — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:48:19 GMT

I think he will break the world record. Does anyone else think that?Yes. Maybe not right away, but you never know. Looking forward to the debut of his new freestyle.

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

Former Member — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:57:55 GMT

I hope the americans can put up a good showing...the french will be so fast though in the 4x100. Here's to hoping that they are peaking too early for world's. It looks bleak now for the US chances in this relay. But many thought the same last year. The French have another swimmer putting up some big swims, who is this Meynard (47.7)? Did he even make the finals at French trials last year? So they've got another stud to toss in with the other four guys. If Phelps swims the 100 free at worlds, I think he will break the world record. Does anyone else think that? I'll be impressed to see him just make the team. I'll return to that thought after Charlotte.

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

Former Member — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:32:54 GMT

I hope the americans can put up a good showing...the french will be so fast though in the 4x100. Here's to hoping that they are peaking too early for world's.

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

rtodd — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:30:02 GMT

If Phelps swims the 100 free at worlds, I think he will break the world record. Does anyone else think that?

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

Former Member — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:20:41 GMT

It would be cool though if we could have alternate camera angles of the water, not just the swimmer. Like when the wave comes off the start/turn, or an up-close look at the water off the feet in slow mode, etc. Pan in and out of these different angles with pictures of Marilyn in bewteen... haha

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

Former Member — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:53:18 GMT

There's a chance Arena is paying him more than Speedo. Just a slight chance. You're such a cynic, Rob. I'm sure, like Ande, he tried all the suits in practice and picked the fastest. But, oh yea, as someone pointed out, he is French - so he tested them in theory......... The fact that he is built like a brick ablusion block, has a beautiful stroke, has a proven track (ok, pool) record and is young enough to improve have nothing to do with it. Ian Fellow cynic.

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

Former Member — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 05:48:30 GMT

Why not a bunny? Like in greyhound racing. Much less high tech. Or why not a holograph of Marilyn? 1437

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

Former Member — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 05:27:43 GMT

Bernard's team mate Fred Bousquet went a 47.15 in the finals today.

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

Former Member — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 05:22:47 GMT

Why not a bunny? Like in greyhound racing. Much less high tech.

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

smontanaro — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:22:18 GMT

I don't think there's anything simple about that red line at all.... I think you're right that if they had footage from the existing record swim it is theoretically possible.... I'm sure it's more than theoretically possible. Back in the day (late 80s, early 90s) when I worked for GE R&D, the group I worked in developed a putting visualizer for golf tournaments. Ahead of time, they had to: survey the green to build a 3D model of it (this happened a week or two in advance) on tournament day set up the surveyor in the camera blind, orient him w.r.t. the green and get the location of the hole as the golfers walked up the fairway, locate the ball on the green, solve the differential equations for putting the ball in the hole and generate the graphics for Johnny Miller, et al, so they could talk about it This was quite a challenge for the computers we had available at the time, but it worked well. Computationally it would be trivial today. I'm sure that calculating the location of the red line would be challenging, but think about it: you'd only have to do it after the fact if a world record was set you'd only have to do it for the winner of the race, and only if you wouldn't have to do it in real time once computed it would be good until the next time The only real question is whether the cost would enhance the viewer's experience. It might be helpful for experts such as the folks on this list, but the average couch potato would probably not notice unless the network came up with some snappy name for the feature, tied it to a big-name sponsor ("Michael, let's replay your race and superimpose the Doritos Couch Potato Red Line and see how you destroyed Alain's world record set in the French national meet") and flogged the feature endlessly.

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

knelson — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:24:46 GMT

they could have a track on lane one with a laser, that goes back and fourth the pool as they swim. then it doesn't matter where the camera is or the zoom, because the laser would be realtime on the pool edge. Two huge problems with that. 1. Who wants a laser shining into their eyes? 2. You can't see the beam unless there's something to scatter it. Think about the laser used to stop a garage door when something's in the path. You can't see the beam. Same thing with a laser pointer. You only see the dot of light on the screen, you don't see the beam. Also water splashing around everyone would scatter the beam like crazy.

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

Rykno — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:07:04 GMT

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

knelson — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:00:15 GMT

Wouldn't it be simple to actually have the red line generated from the prior footage? A simple computer program could track the "real" line. No? I don't think there's anything simple about that red line at all. If you think about it they need to know the position and focal length of the camera at all times. When the entire pool is in view how does the computer know where the camera is looking? I think you're right that if they had footage from the existing record swim it is theoretically possible, but it would be extremely complicated. Again, how do they know exactly where the camera is looking especially when the entire pool is not in view?

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

Former Member — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:40:44 GMT

he may be the fastest right now, but he is still FRENCH... :applaud:

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

Former Member — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:45:18 GMT

It's what's inside the suit that matters. Right. If you swam a 48.4 in 2007 you were crowned World Champion. Let's see Bernard wear the FS Pro then.

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

Former Member — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:56:00 GMT

Could he have done this in an lzr? We don't know, thats the problem. Could he have done it in a different pool? We don't know. Different cap and goggles? We don't know. It's an incredible swim but there are no standards for comparison The standard for comparison is that it was 100 meters of freestyle racing. I get the point about tech suit vs. no tech suit, but saying that you can't make valid comparisons across swims in different brands of tech suits seems like we're reducing the argument to a very absurd end. I'll be in the weight room if anyone needs me.

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

Former Member — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:47:01 GMT

This happens all the time, though. Remember they only know the world record splits so that red line is going to move at a constant speed representing the time for that 50 meters. Huh? Is that how they make the WR line? Wouldn't it be simple to actually have the red line generated from the prior footage? A simple computer program could track the "real" line. No?

RE: Alain Bernard - 46.94 100 meter free

Former Member — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:32:57 GMT

There's a chance Arena is paying him more than Speedo. Just a slight chance.