There's been a reference already to this, but USA Swimming's Rules & Regulations Committee issued its long awaited interpretation of the FINA suit list.
Since this is a modification to USA Swimming Article 102, the rule change is so amended in USMS rules effective immediately, unless it is painfully rejected or modified (USMS 601.4.7B). That being said, they may choose to state the rest of this differently or interpret it differently, plus the minor issue of how you enforce this.
On May 19, 2009, FINA issued a list of swimsuits approved for competition. The approved list, which was effective immediately and is attached, includes 202 swimsuits. The Rules and Regulations Committee, under the provisions of Article 511.1, has the authority to alter or amend any provision of Part One of our rules to conform to the rules of FINA. Accordingly, effective immediately, Article 102.9 is amended as follows:
102.9.1A: Only swimwear approved by FINA, as reflected on its published list of approved swimwear, may be worn in any USA Swimming sanctioned or approved competition.
(Existing subsections A, B, and C of Article 102.9.1 shall be redesignated as subsections B, C and D, respectively.)
Since the FINA approved list only addressed new model swimsuits submitted by swimsuit manufacturers, swimmers will, until otherwise directed by FINA, also be able to wear traditional swimsuits not on the FINA approved list as long as the swimsuit meets the following criteria:
1. For female swimmers, the swimsuit shall not cover the neck, extend past the shoulders or past the pelvis, and
2. For male swimmers, the swimsuit shall not extend above the navel or below the knees.
In addition to the 202 approved swimsuits on the attached FINA list, there were an additional 136 swimsuits that could be resubmitted to FINA for reconsideration and possible approval. The expected decision date for such approval is June 19, 2009. At such time as FINA publishes any list of additional swimsuits approved for competition, those additional swimsuits will also be approved for USA Swimming sanctioned or approved competitions.
(remainder snipped because it applies to World Championship Trials only)
So it looks like you can wear your 15 year old The Finals suit in the relative safety that it complies with the rules.
Patrick King
Rob, thank you for making this point - and we should all consider ourselves warned in advance. If I understand you correctly, it is to say "Wearer beware - if you want your meters (SCM or LCM) times to count for FINA World masters rankings or records - you have to decide if it is worth the risk of wearing a suit that is not on FINA's approved list; it may or MAY NOT be accepted by FINA..."
Yes, very odd language. USMS will continue to submit times to FINA until they are not directed to by FINA ... At what point can/will FINA just stop accepting USMS times? And could they refuse to accept all USMS times, regardless of the suit worn, because compliance cannot be established?
This seems like a temporary fix by USMS with the pending "appeal" as the hook. If FINA is really just "continuing testing of the suits" (as someone suggested), why did it publish an official approved list? Or was this not actually "official"? And if it's not official, why are countries declaring compliance and enacting policies/rules based on it?
If FINA's list remains unchanged on June 19 and is deemed "final" for 2009 by FINA, I don't see how USMS couldn't comply. I can't see FINA accepting non-compliant times after a final ruling. Could they? Swimmers wearing suits would, as Sandi Rousseau put it, effectively be taking a chance that FINA couldn't "track these suits in hindsight"? That is very unpalatable.
On the other hand, as I've said before, I think it's unfair to many US swimmers to abruptly change suit approvals mid year, when the rest of the world has been competing in SCM instead of SCY.
Rob, thank you for making this point - and we should all consider ourselves warned in advance. If I understand you correctly, it is to say "Wearer beware - if you want your meters (SCM or LCM) times to count for FINA World masters rankings or records - you have to decide if it is worth the risk of wearing a suit that is not on FINA's approved list; it may or MAY NOT be accepted by FINA..."
Yes, very odd language. USMS will continue to submit times to FINA until they are not directed to by FINA ... At what point can/will FINA just stop accepting USMS times? And could they refuse to accept all USMS times, regardless of the suit worn, because compliance cannot be established?
This seems like a temporary fix by USMS with the pending "appeal" as the hook. If FINA is really just "continuing testing of the suits" (as someone suggested), why did it publish an official approved list? Or was this not actually "official"? And if it's not official, why are countries declaring compliance and enacting policies/rules based on it?
If FINA's list remains unchanged on June 19 and is deemed "final" for 2009 by FINA, I don't see how USMS couldn't comply. I can't see FINA accepting non-compliant times after a final ruling. Could they? Swimmers wearing suits would, as Sandi Rousseau put it, effectively be taking a chance that FINA couldn't "track these suits in hindsight"? That is very unpalatable.
On the other hand, as I've said before, I think it's unfair to many US swimmers to abruptly change suit approvals mid year, when the rest of the world has been competing in SCM instead of SCY.
