New blocks installed for the Worlds.
I've read that the use of the new blocks was postponed due at lack of availability. A change of mind of FINA ?
You can see it on the official website.
look at this image.
I had the opportunity to use those blocks at the Canadian SCM Nationals in Toronto in May. They are awesome!!! The block part that comes up is movable and you can get a good solid push off on a track start. :banana:
I think these blocks are clearly a technological innovation meant solely to make times faster, and should be disallowed. (I don't see a "tongue-in-cheek" emoticon anywhere...)
Why don't they just shoot them out of an air cannon and a predetermined PSI so that they can enter the water like a torpedo in the streamline position.:rolleyes:
I would love to see backstrokers clearing over the flags on their start.
I think these blocks are clearly a technological innovation meant solely to make times faster, and should be disallowed. (I don't see a "tongue-in-cheek" emoticon anywhere...)
Absolutely! In fact, were I to swim a meet with those blocks, I would choose to start in the water in defiance of this "legalized cheating". :joker:
As Galen will soon point out, this is just the first of a planned series of innovations leading to a spring-loaded launcher built into the platform. The only problem FINA has at the moment with this concept is that the platform launches the swimmer past the 15 meter point. They are pondering how to solve this problem....
As Galen will soon point out, this is just the first of a planned series of innovations leading to a spring-loaded launcher built into the platform. The only problem FINA has at the moment with this concept is that the platform launches the swimmer past the 15 meter point. They are pondering how to solve this problem....
The word on the street is that the 15M point will still be observed, but it will be as measured from the opposite end of the pool.
Why don't they just shoot them out of an air cannon and a predetermined PSI so that they can enter the water like a torpedo in the streamline position.:rolleyes:
I mean what's next....the suits are a big enough advantage?
Why don't they just shoot them out of an air cannon and a predetermined PSI so that they can enter the water like a torpedo in the streamline position.:rolleyes:
I mean what's next....the suits are a big enough advantage?
Sounds way fun! Of course, they'd have to calibrate it so swimmers actually landed IN the pool and didn't overshoot it.
To keep things Truly Fair, other minute calibrations would be needed to ensure that all swimmers landed at precisely a pre-set number of yards into their lanes (oh, let's just say 40m for a 50m pool, 20m for a 25m pool--although the latter could be a challenge given the power of cannons, etc.). The cannon settings would have to be adjusted to take into account each swimmer's body weight, suit weight, weight of swim cap, etc., so as to achieve pinpoint accuracy in launching the swimmers. :joker:
They used to have some kind of cannon (catapult?) in Atlantic City that launched a woman on horseback into a pool... although I suspect that might be a little awkward for use in swim meets.
