This is why I was asking if there is some other set of rules being used to determine a suits legality, which would allow training suits at meet. Someone suggested that suits introduced before September 2007 would be allowed. So does that mean that new workout suits are not allowed?
B.
I have a pre-2007 suit so it's not listed as approved. How do I go to a meet and prove to an official that it is an older tech suit?! Show him a dated picture of me wearing a similar one from 2004?
This is going to take a while to iron out.
sent this email today:
From: Rasmussen, Anders (AUSTIN, TX)
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 11:54 AM
To: 'rules@usms.org'
Subject: Dear Kathy, RE USMS RULES
Dear Kathy,
It was wonderful to meet you at nationals.
Yesterday the FINA 2009 List of Approved Swimsuits came out.
In March, 2009 USMS issued the U.S. Masters Swimming’s official interpretation of Swimwear rule 102.14
Now that the list is out I’m curious if anything has changed?
Is the new list effective immediately?
This:
“Question: Can I wear a regular racing suit that is not a body suit?
Answer: Yes, suits introduced prior to September 30, 2007, are legal for U.S.M.S. competition.”
leads me to believe the B70 Point Zero suit will remain legal, since it was launched in Sept 2006
It would be helpful to have an official statement from the USMS rules committee
Ande
It's not relevant to me (since I won't be setting any world records any time soon) but even if USMS approves the pointZero3 for the balance of 2009, I don't think the suit is legal for FINA purposes, so the elite swimmers interested in records should probably stay away in any event.
I get the argument that swimming should be about the swimmers & not the suits.
Here's the rules in the USMS rule book:
102.14 Swimwear
102.14.1 Design—The swimsuits worn for competition shall be nontransparent and conform to the current concept of the appropriate.
102.15 Disqualifications
102.15.9 Swimmers are not permitted to wear or use any device or substance to help their speed, pace or buoyancy during a race.
Swimmers wear swim suits to cover their private parts. When a suit covers other areas, it could be viewed as a device that helps speed & bouyancy.
FINA's new rules don't address compression. Swimmers squeeze into small tight suits making their bodies more aquadynamic. Perhaps there should be a rule that states:
"Swimmers must put on their swimsuits themselves without any assistance or tools."
Perhaps there should be a rule that states:
"Swimmers must put on their swimsuits themselves without any assistance or tools."
I like that idea on the surface.
Underneath, however, more problems... people with missing limbs, arthritis or another disability that need assistance putting on a normal brief or normal female suit. The Blue Muppet had to tie my drawstrings for me at 2005 Nationals when my arm was in a cast and thumb was locked in a string-tying-unfriendly position.
FINA's new rules don't address compression. Swimmers squeeze into small tight suits making their bodies more aquadynamic.
I think there are two aspects of the new suits which help swimmers, lower hydrodynamic drag and compression. Both significantly improve performance in the water.
If you have a material that has less drag (ex. shaved human skin) it will enable you to swim through the water faster. Look at what bike racers wear (helmets, glasses, uniforms, etc.) that lessens drag.
If your muscles are not moving around, you will be able to sustain physical effort for a longer period of time. Witness track athletes, basketball players, and others who wear tight shorts to keep their leg muscles compressed.
The whole argument over suits trapping air is a red herring in my opinion. Almost any wet fabric can trap air and aid in bouyancy, just wear board shorts the next time you go to a hotel hot tub for proof of this. The bigger issue is trapping water! In one of my races at Portland last year, I got some water in my lower back while wearing my Blue Seventy Nero Comp. I think it slowed me down and took away some of the advantages the suit gave me. So the equipment giveth and the equipment taketh away...
All sports involve equipment that aid the athlete's performance. But in the end, the person inside the garment is the ultimate determining factor.
Just my opinion on all the brew ha ha.
for those of you that keep saying that you think, assume or hope that USMS will allow the use of the banned suits through Dec 31 might not be thinking of those swimmers that have a chance to break world records.
Isn't it FINA that approves WR's? if so, then that would most likely mean that any WR swim would have to be from a meet that didn't allow banned suits.
Or is there a box to check in on the application that states what suit you wore?
Just got back from workout after trying out the Rocket Science full body sleeveless, some observations:
- Most people at workout thought I was wearing a B70...same external fabric & liner/same look.
- Very well made suit. Same amount of effort to get into...but the suits run HUGE. I was in a "small/tall". Those that no me know there is now and never has been anything small about me. It is nice that they offer a tall IMHO.
- I did some faster pass 50's and a couple of dives and the suit felt exactly the same to me.
- The "feature" that got them approved and from what I understand "sank" the B70 was a mesh panel in the crotch and under the armpits. I have to call BS on this. if someone took a suit in their hand and drug it thru the wateer than yes some air bubbles would escape the RS that don't with the B70...however when the suit is on the location of those panels (IMHO) had no impact on this as most of the air bubbles in both suits tend to sit in the small of the back.
I'll be wearing at a meet over the wekend and see if anything changes....
sent this email today:
From: Rasmussen, Anders (AUSTIN, TX)
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 11:54 AM
To: 'rules@usms.org'
Subject: Dear Kathy, RE USMS RULES
Dear Kathy,
It was wonderful to meet you at nationals.
Yesterday the FINA 2009 List of Approved Swimsuits came out.
In March, 2009 USMS issued the U.S. Masters Swimming’s official interpretation of Swimwear rule 102.14
Now that the list is out I’m curious if anything has changed?
Is the new list effective immediately?
This:
“Question: Can I wear a regular racing suit that is not a body suit?
Answer: Yes, suits introduced prior to September 30, 2007, are legal for U.S.M.S. competition.”
leads me to believe the B70 Point Zero suit will remain legal, since it was launched in Sept 2006
It would be helpful to have an official statement from the USMS rules committee
Ande
Ande and everyone else:
USMS has provided an official statement. Peter Busch read it on our live edition of The Morning Swim Show today. We have the news update running on our website, which includes the statement from Rob Copeland.
You can also find it in Jason Marsteller's continually updated story.
OMG. Corporate America (in this case represented by Speedo) is able to change the rules if the price is right? As Claude Rains said in Casablanca, "I am shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here."
The Nero Comp traps air, and the Fastskin II or the Pro do not? Give me a break.
Hey maybe I missed something here... but Speedo Endurance is a line of polyester workout suits.
Why would it be on the tech-suit list?
Remember, the title of this list is "FINA 2009 List of Approved Swimsuits". It makes no reference to "tech suits" and certainly makes no distinction between tech suits and workout suits. So I assume that if a suit is not on the list, it is not legal, which is what "That Guy" was suggesting.
This is why I was asking if there is some other set of rules being used to determine a suits legality, which would allow training suits at meet. Someone suggested that suits introduced before September 2007 would be allowed. So does that mean that new workout suits are not allowed?
Before you assume that this is obvious and that I am "picking nits", remember that USMS tried to give "clarification" recently on the "two suit" rules in meets and managed to confuse things by stating that you could only wear one suit AND you could wear two suits (a modesty suit underneath a tech suit).
One might argue that this is all "common sense", but I would disagree.
