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.
So, according to this, as of this moment, B70s can be worn in a masters sanctioned competition. I guess we await a statement from USA Swimming. The news show was unclear about what would be acceptable at the Janet Evans Invitational.
Banning a suit mid-year seems a bit bizarre. For example, some people have already competed in SCM (e.g., Canadian Nationals), but most will swim in the fall.
Banning a suit mid-year seems a bit bizarre. For example, some people have already competed in SCM (e.g., Canadian Nationals), but most will swim in the fall.
Probably the best time to do it, from a swimming calendar perspective, would be something like September 1st. However, I think Fina is trying to get this sorted out before Rome.
4.6 Notice of approval
The Manufacturer must indicate the approval on the product in use in a non
removable manner, either on the product itself and/or on non removable label by the
words "FINA approved 03/09".
The notice shall be accessible to control but shall not be prominent. It shall be written
in normal font script and size.
Usage in public advertising and promotion is not permitted subject to a specific
agreement with FINA. For the avoidance of doubt, usage of the FINA Logo or other
trademarks of FINA is not permitted in any way.
The fact that a swimsuit is of an approved model must in any event be identifiable in
relation to its use in a competition during the period of application of these rules.
Such identification can occur through the above mentioned marking on the swimsuit
or label or through another ad hoc procedure accepted by FINA for the purpose of
the application of these transitory rules.
Huh? Again what about suits on the list but do not have an identifiable mark?
DIANA - Submarine Shining Arrow
I've just been looking on manufacturers websites at the approved suits for possible alternatives to the B70. I've never heard of this suit before, but just look at the claims they make..........
"At the same time considering the “rebound” of the water molecule in contact with the micro spheres we can easily imagine the creation of air chambers that will allowed the swimmer to float better than with the Submarine TF with a gain of about 15%"
www.dianasport.com/.../Submarine_Shining_Arrow.html
I do actually find the B70 does hold a little air, but I don't see that as an advantage. It actually distracts me sometimes from the race.
Definately something fishy going on
Last night at Cif-ss Master meet which is a USA swimming sanctioned meet. The officials followed the Fina guidelines and marked swimmers not in approved suits. Marked swimmers times were not submitted to USA swimming for Juniors or Nationals. Announced at the meet, most of the particants did not know of the ruling. Much confusion for the final high school meet of the year.
USMS has provided an official statement. You can also find it in Jason Marsteller's continually updated story.
From the updated "story":
In other news, U.S. Masters Swimming released the following statement regarding the impact of the FINA ruling on Masters in the U.S.
While FINA has listed the 202 approved swimsuits, FINA has NOT listed the 10 suits that have been "rejected for not passing the tests of buoyancy and/or thickness" or made a ruling on the "136 swimsuits to be modified in accordance with "Dubai Charter". Until FINA provides the definitive list of banned swimsuits and specific actions on the 136, we should not report any suit as banned in a USMS sanctioned event.
With FINA's policy of not releasing banned suit information, Masters swimers in the U.S. will likely be swimming in whatever suit they want until further notice.
I need to read this closely, but saw it on floswimming: www.ipetitions.com/.../
Great statement/petition but you have to pay a small "tax" to sign it. :cool:
Being a swimmer of the 80's-90's this whole suit thing is a joke to me, really just disappointing to be honest. Swimming is now becoming like NASCAR or something, everyone looking for an equipment edge. To me at least swimming was better back when everyone wore nothing more fancy than a paper brief suit....at least it was about the "swimming" and "training", not a fashion show.
Now, that being said, I know it makes swimming exciting with the new incredible times, puts swimming the limelight, etc. To me, it doesn't make it better though.
MY :2cents:. I'm just over all this suit BS.
Hi Lump
Last night, the CEO of Tyr was interviewed on KCBS radio's sports report and he gave an extensive discussion about FINA's approval of the latest models of the so called tech suits and the advantages swimmers get from using them.
He overtly stated something to the effect that "..........The suits increase buoyancy so the person rides higher in the water so there's less drag and less tendency for the legs to sink, compress and smooth out the body, lessen exertion and fatigue, and a host of other factors........yada, yada, yada, yada......".
I felt like yelling at the radio "Hey Mr. CEO of Tyr, it's been known for over 100 years that anyone can swim faster by using mechanical aids (such as a high buoyancy suit, paddles, flippers, etc.) and why in the hell should we accept the new records set through mechanically aided swimming as being an achievement?".
Considering how the issue over "suit technology" has evolved into the current mess, the only practical way to resolve the debate is to have two races: One with so called tech suits and the other one with only 1970s era briefs. And we'll see which time counts as being the "true" record.
Dolphin 2
