Craig Lord's rather inflammatory article www.swimnews.com/.../6918 on the possibility that USMS will depart from FINA vis a vis allowed swim suits raises a fundamental issue:
If masters swimming allows a more lenient policy regarding suit technology than FINA swimming, will this help or hurt our status in the swimming world?
I love the high tech suits, and I think FINA has been boneheaded in many ways, but I personally think that the creation of a two-tier system--regular swimming and masters "handicapped" swimming--would be bad for our sport and only marginalize us in the world of athletics.
If the choice comes down to two options--abide by FINA's suit rulings OR permit suits like the B70 for masters (if it is outlawed by FINA for "real" swimmers), which side would you support?
So for the pro-B70 contingent, assuming the LSR is legal and equally fast, it all comes down to cost, right?
The B70 lets you do identical times over a much longer period of time.
But won't B70 go back to the drawing board and come up with something that is both durable and LSR-like in speed and legality?
And won't FINA then have to approve it, or risk lawsuits for unfair application of standards?
I say there can only be one standard, otherwise the sport will bifurcate into the "real" and the "cheap old people need an advantage" categories, which will only cause enmity all around.
So for the pro-B70 contingent, assuming the LSR is legal and equally fast, it all comes down to cost, right?
The B70 lets you do identical times over a much longer period of time.
But won't B70 go back to the drawing board and come up with something that is both durable and LSR-like in speed and legality?
And won't FINA then have to approve it, or risk lawsuits for unfair application of standards?
I say there can only be one standard, otherwise the sport will bifurcate into the "real" and the "cheap old people need an advantage" categories, which will only cause enmity all around.
