Is anyone else wondering why we here on the USMS forum can only find the supposed official USMS statement on Jason Marsteller's site?
Rob? Jim? Is there an official USMS position yet? If so, why is it not front and center here?
I'm with you... I've been looking for and sending out some e-mails to try and get my hands on something more substantial. I absolutely trust Jason's coverage on the matter, but I still want to see something official and direct from USMS.
Maybe it's my interpretation, and "there is only text", but I'm not really reading a lot of panic here. Confusion as to what is banned and why, curiosity over what this means in terms of policy and enforcement, and conspiracy theories are mostly what I'm reading.
maybe its not evident from this thread, but make no mistake... there is panic!
(i do like the "lets boycott speedo because we think they have unfairly influenced the the decision to disqualify a suit that is cheaper and many thought was faster" idea.... but the truth is: no one is going to take such a stand if they think the speedo is their best bet to squeeze a half second out of a 50.... so, its just huffing and puffing.)
That Guy joked about it, but it is a fair point. If a suit is not on the Fina list but used in a record-swimming performance will the record not be granted? We immediately jump to thoughts of tech suits like the X Glide, but how about some training suit? You can't set a WR in a nylon suit?! That doesn't make sense.
Is there a rule that covers this case? If not, then the anti-tech suit crowd should be up in arms. Why? Because this list means that you MUST wear a "tech suit" (if you want a record). Of course I consider all of the suits other than a brief, for men, to be a tech suit.
So I am no where near top 10, or WR, or even beating the 80yo guy in the lane next to me, so how does meet time submissions work? Is every time submitted from a meet eligible for top 10 and WR, or is there some paperwork?
If someone looks like they set a record, can their suit be reviewed then?
I have no problem getting my a** handed to me by a 90yo woman in a B70 who is just there for some fun racing. It would suck to get DQed for racing in the wrong suit when the objective isn't top times, it is just to race.
I believe the current list only includes those suits that came on the market after 2007- all suits approved prior to this time are still legal but not included in the list FINA published- this list is not inclusive of all legal suits, just those introduced after 2007. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.
There are several suits in the list that were introduced before 2007. The Aquablade, for instances.
To some extent Speedo is the bad guy, but it should be remembered that they do more to promote the sport than, well, anyone. Of course they are in it for money, why would that even be discussed, but they do recognize that they have a role in the promotion of the sport and have taken that role seriously.
I am very disappointed for B70 as a company in this. I really liked their entry into the market and I think it is clearly good to have an upstart challenge Speedo.
From the first time I put on my B70 I believed it trapped air. So I fully expected the B70 to fail the 2010 requirements for permeability. But if other suits are constructed similarly to the B70 but they passed FINA's requirements - why?
It is easy to see why the LZR passed - since it has significant surface area not covered by rubber.
I hope B70 acts quickly with a buyback program. My son is a USA-S swimmer and his B70 is useless now. It probably only has 10 races in it and he'll never be able to use it again. He paid for part of it. He will need a new suit for next spring's championship season and he will need a 2010 legal suit. No way he'll spend $300-$400 for a 2009 only suit.
Blue Seventy will lose customers rapidly since there are apparently many suits legal NOW and those accustomed to racing in a B70 will not want to lose swimsuit performance.
Maybe B70 could sell their top suits on a subscription basis - pay a certain amount per year and be assured of always having a FINA legal suit.
I'm hoping that there will be some sort of rebate or something from B-70, but a reality check tells me that they may not be able to survive a tsunami such as this. Live and learn....
b-70 has a great reputation for making excellent high performance wetsuits. even if there is a sour taste left in the mouths of pool swimmers over this ruling, it will not carry over to those looking for a quality wetsuit and they will no doubt survive. the question is will they continue to pursue the tech suit market? it appears they came up with a cheaper, faster suit than the bigger guys, but with the new fina rules.... is this still possible?
disclaimer: i don't wear wetsuits by b-70 or any other manufacturer for swimming purposes.
Of course Speedo has been a huge positive force for swimming. But competition is good. And some things they do - like the Mark Schubert influence - stink all around.
