All the announcements that are flying around about this, that or the other thing, being legal, maybe allowed and not legal, have not helped clarify anything to me. I read the latest USMS release as:
a) we'll follow whatever FINA says, but
b) later says that we can wear whatever we want despite FINA's ruling.
Very confusing- are we following FINA or not?
As a Meet Director, I find this to be a huge problem, especially as it relates to blueSeventy suits. I am sure that there will be plenty of people wearing/wanting to wear b70s while swimming in the meet I am hosting on June 21, just after the next FINA deadline and I would like to know what I should be telling our participants to wear (or not wear), and what our officials should be allowing or disallowing.
Considering b70's level of sponsorship and the prevalence of their suits at USMS meets over the last year, I think it would be prudent for the Rules Committee to release a statement citing this particular company's suits in their examples. It would greatly help me out.
Dolf, you have a point about asking USMS directly, and I have done so separately, but my point is that as a meet director, I am confused as to how to direct my participants. It would be my hope that the Rob's and/or Kathy Casey will weigh in. There are plenty of other meet directors who browse/participate in these forums who could benefit from this, not just me.
Thankfully, I think this all has created a situation where there will be more folks that take the brief/tank route like Señor Wolf has professed and I won't have to worry about it too much.
Muppet,
I think it's clear. Under official USMS policy, B70s are legal in masters meets and for masters ranking purposes. The only lack of clarity is wrt FINA rankings and records in light of the current "don't ask, don't tell" policy. That could change on June 19 when FINA issues it's new list. But I'm not sure how quickly USMS will act after that announcement ... Also, if the list is really final and B70 is still excluded after further testing, and there is no rationalization about "continued testing," it's hard to see how the suit would be legal then. But I guess USMS theoretically could still say the suits were good until the end of the year.
However, with that said and as a notorious B70 user you'll be on the look out for, I intend to be in a FINA approved suit. I just don't know which one yet. :D
Dolf, you have a point about asking USMS directly, and I have done so separately, but my point is that as a meet director, I am confused as to how to direct my participants. It would be my hope that the Rob's and/or Kathy Casey will weigh in. There are plenty of other meet directors who browse/participate in these forums who could benefit from this, not just me.
Thankfully, I think this all has created a situation where there will be more folks that take the brief/tank route like Señor Wolf has professed and I won't have to worry about it too much.
Muppet,
I think it's clear. Under official USMS policy, B70s are legal in masters meets and for masters ranking purposes. The only lack of clarity is wrt FINA rankings and records in light of the current "don't ask, don't tell" policy. That could change on June 19 when FINA issues it's new list. But I'm not sure how quickly USMS will act after that announcement ... Also, if the list is really final and B70 is still excluded after further testing, and there is no rationalization about "continued testing," it's hard to see how the suit would be legal then. But I guess USMS theoretically could still say the suits were good until the end of the year.
However, with that said and as a notorious B70 user you'll be on the look out for, I intend to be in a FINA approved suit. I just don't know which one yet. :D
