Dear USMS Membership,
The Executive Committee met this week and discussed the recent FINA news release. USMS does abide by FINA policies however we recognize that there is much confusion with interpreting and applying the FINA release. In response and until further suit policy clarification is provided by FINA, USMS Board President Rob Copeland issued the following statement. Additionally, the USMS Rules Committee will be meeting on May 31st as they monitor the situation, any new information made available, and the implications it could have on USMS sanctioned events.
Rob Butcher
Executive Director
To: Kathy Kasey, Rules Committee Chair
Marcia Cleveland, Long Distance Committee Chair
Date: May 20, 2009
At this point in time no suits should be listed as banned by U.S. Masters Swimming for pool or open water swimming.
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.
If you hear anything from FINA in contradiction to this statement, please inform me as soon as possible. The list of FINA approved suits can be found at: www.fina.org/.../index.php. The FINA press release can be found at: www.fina.org/.../index.php
Rob Copeland
President - United States Masters Swimming
Former Member
Wait a minute. USMS finds out about this through a press release? FINA never contacted our leadership directly? There's a WTF moment.
I disagree, because many of these are suits that FINA previously approved. Yes, any new suit should need to be approved, but if they are going to disallow, ban, whatever you want to call it, a previously allowed suit then I think they should explicitly state this.
Does this address that question. To me it means that if you want to use a suit between now and the end of the year, it must be an approved suit. Doesn't matter if it has been previously approved.
4.1 Products to be submitted
All swimsuits to be used during the period of application shall be submitted, even if
previously approved.
Here is the link to the approval process. This was posted before.
www.fina.org/.../SWIMWEAR APPROVAL.pdf
I think this is the right call. Too many unanswered questions as things stand now.
I disagree. If it is not approved, it is not approved. What does it matter if it was rejected or needs modification? Either way the suit as it is has been deemed inappropriate. This seems like a copout.
This seems like a copout.
My opinion is that FINA's list is a copout. They've come out with a list of approved suits, but with no guidance on what this list means. Are suits NOT on the list automatically out? What about older suits? Who will enforce this? I think the onus is on FINA to answer these basic questions.
Here is my question: will swims done in a B70 (or any other non-approved suit) and in a USMS-sanctioned event count towards FINA top ten and FINA world records?
If FINA doesn't approve the suit for competition, I don't see why they would. I think USMS is not serving its members (or some of them, at any rate) if that is indeed the case.
Copout list, incomplete list, vague list, maybe so: but I just don't like USMS having a different set of rules than FINA.
My opinion is that FINA's list is a copout. They've come out with a list of approved suits, but with no guidance on what this list means. Are suits NOT on the list automatically out? What about older suits? Who will enforce this? I think the onus is on FINA to answer these basic questions.
I'm with you, Kirk. FINA has not been exhaustive and clear on their new rules. An implication of this list as being the only list of approved suits is that every swimmer, from my 6 year old* swimming a USAS No Time Standard meet up to the likes of Phelps and Knutson, can ONLY compete in one of these suits.
* Call me crazy, but I much prefer the $6 suit I picked up for my daughter on sale at Sports Authority versus getting her even a Speedo Aquablade (one of the "cheaper" suits on the approved list).
Here is my question: will swims done in a B70 (or any other non-approved suit) and in a USMS-sanctioned event count towards FINA top ten and FINA world records?
If FINA doesn't approve the suit for competition, I don't see why they would. I think USMS is not serving its members (or some of them, at any rate) if that is indeed the case.
Copout list, incomplete list, vague list, maybe so: but I just don't like USMS having a different set of rules than FINA.
100% agree.
Onus might be on the swimmer to pick an approved suit in this case.
Well, I know that I plan on doing so...but if USMS officials essentially don't care, then FINA would have no way of knowing if the swim was done legally (according to their criteria) or not.
Worst case scenario: FINA rejects them all out of hand if USMS decides not to enforce their rules. And -- much as I disagree with their reasoning in the B70 case -- I can't really blame them. Rules are rules.
(At this point FINA undoubtedly is thinking about "mainstream" swimming rather than masters, but still.)
but I just don't like USMS having a different set of rules than FINA.
Does it though?
I assume there was some reasoning behind FINA's coy "approved list" but no "banned list." Surely, FINA anticipated/was informed of/approved this reaction?
I still think the list itself is BS because of the ridiculous, gotcha on a technicality, discrimination against B70. Two other inequities: (1) assuming times don't count, and this is a big assumption, some people will have times in non-approved suits and others will have times in possibly slower "approved" suits for purposes of SCM, and (2) I think it will be difficult to purchase "approved" suits to replace non-approved suits. Some already appear to be unavailable and I would bet Pros are flying off the racks.
