Read the article "What's Up with the Suits?" by John Leonard at the following site:
http://www.swimmingcoach.org/
Now note that he sat on the FINA "Commission for Swimwear Approval" that produced the current fiasco:
www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/.../21315.asp
My prediction, FWIW, is that post 01-01-2010, men will be back into FS Pro Jammers (read" paper suits), and women into traditional tanks. Isn't that the only way to be "pure" and eliminate compression, buoyancy, air-trapping, drag reduction, etc?
Perhaps we should also get rid of goggles and silicone caps, since they also represent technological breaks with the past.
While I am happy to race in any type of suit, as long as it is a level playing field (and I consider LZR, B70, Jaked, AquaZone, Tracer Rise, Powerskin, etc to be level enough), I am nauseated by the "purist" argument that swimming has become all about the suits. It has not. Everyone has access to a LZR, or a B70, or ... So it is still racing, only in different equipment. Yes, a less-fit swimmer with poor technique may be aided more by the suits than a fit swimmer with good technique. But certainly not enough to beat the latter.
The purist argument is based on the dramatic drops in times achieved with the new suits. So what? Does the fact that Bousquet and cohorts are setting records minimize Biondi's accmplishments; or Popov's/Jager's/Thorpe's/Salinkov's/Spitz's? Of course not.:bitching:
Somebody find a way to get rid of FINA, please. And mute Craig Lord, while you're at it...:bitching:
I've wondered just how much profit there is in the tech suits for the big companies. I've often heard two things. First, tech suits are loss leaders for them due to their relatively low sales volume and higher production costs. Second, team suits (your summer teams, high schools, etc) are the bread and butter of their operations. I'll be at meets this Summer where 300 + kids will be wearing Speedo lycra suits at $50 a pop.
I wonder what the sales ratio is of traditional lycra/endurace suits to tech suit sales - 1:100, 1:500?
I've wondered just how much profit there is in the tech suits for the big companies. I've often heard two things. First, tech suits are loss leaders for them due to their relatively low sales volume and higher production costs. Second, team suits (your summer teams, high schools, etc) are the bread and butter of their operations. I'll be at meets this Summer where 300 + kids will be wearing Speedo lycra suits at $50 a pop.
I wonder what the sales ratio is of traditional lycra/endurace suits to tech suit sales - 1:100, 1:500?
