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.
B70 is apparently already suing FINA, Jim.
Ian's solution from the other thread is the best. Leave the B70 on the FINA list -- it's already been around for a year. Freeze the list at the already approved suits + B70 and take some time to develop rational tests with a scientific basis -- none of this "may trap air" nonsense. If they're going to take a suit off the list in the future pursuant to new standards, given some notice. If this scenario was followed, as some of us were discussing, this could induce competition from manufacturers, prices of the suits would drop, and durability would increase.
Oh, I don't really agree that the B70 and the LZR are identical. I think, just MHO, that the LZR is faster for many. The Arena X-Glide and Jaked are even faster as they seem to be combo B70+LZR suits.
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.
B70 is apparently already suing FINA, Jim.
Ian's solution from the other thread is the best. Leave the B70 on the FINA list -- it's already been around for a year. Freeze the list at the already approved suits + B70 and take some time to develop rational tests with a scientific basis -- none of this "may trap air" nonsense. If they're going to take a suit off the list in the future pursuant to new standards, given some notice. If this scenario was followed, as some of us were discussing, this could induce competition from manufacturers, prices of the suits would drop, and durability would increase.
Oh, I don't really agree that the B70 and the LZR are identical. I think, just MHO, that the LZR is faster for many. The Arena X-Glide and Jaked are even faster as they seem to be combo B70+LZR suits.
