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?
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Former Member
I have even raced as a master. I don't make it a habit. I swim regularly to maintain a heart beat that wakes at 36 to this day after many years of 14 to 18km of training a day that I enjoyed and that took me to about the speed of Petra Schneider on a 400m medley.
Beyond that, I love masters for the kind of things I have seen from Shane Gould: the example, the role model, the lifelong learning about water and water skills. Gould has so many lessons from which we can all learn, and from which the sport itself can learn, lessons that could help avoid repetitive strain injuries, lessons that could help kids learn about water in an enlightening way that helps them to become better swimmers and have more fun.
Okay, wait. Is Craig male or female? I assume female as (s)/he is comparing their times and performance to a woman, Petra Schneider. As for me I'm going back to the kiddie pool to relearn the doggie paddle.
I have even raced as a master. I don't make it a habit. I swim regularly to maintain a heart beat that wakes at 36 to this day after many years of 14 to 18km of training a day that I enjoyed and that took me to about the speed of Petra Schneider on a 400m medley.
Beyond that, I love masters for the kind of things I have seen from Shane Gould: the example, the role model, the lifelong learning about water and water skills. Gould has so many lessons from which we can all learn, and from which the sport itself can learn, lessons that could help avoid repetitive strain injuries, lessons that could help kids learn about water in an enlightening way that helps them to become better swimmers and have more fun.
Okay, wait. Is Craig male or female? I assume female as (s)/he is comparing their times and performance to a woman, Petra Schneider. As for me I'm going back to the kiddie pool to relearn the doggie paddle.
