With swimmers restricted to wearing only one technical suit of specified thickness, the rate of design innovation and corresponding world record progression would eventually slow and reach a plateau.
Wait and see is the way to go. I will wait to see what is going to happen.
If Fina listens to the USA proposal every record set will have *** beside it.
Even Johhny Weismullers. He wore a suit that went from his shoulders and covered his torso.
Rule SW10.7 now reads: No swimmer shall be permitted to use or wear any device or swimsuit that may aid his/her speed, buoyancy or endurance during a competition (such as webbed gloves, flippers, fins, etc.). Goggles may be worn. Any kind of tape on the body is not permitted.
Some purists in Europe are now urging FINA to ban goggles. I must admit, they are an aid to swimming faster. I'd certainly swim slower without goggles.
If they ban all tech suits, many of you have spent big bucks on fantastic traing suits. With their bouyancy, compretion and ability to make you swim better. Your investment will really enhance your ability to swim fast.
When you now slip into your just plain old swim suit you will be much faster in an untech suit then you were in the past.
That would just be silly. The records will all be broken sooner or later, let them stand as is. FINA is in a mess already, no need to point out their already immense flaws with asterisks. That just demeans the swimmers and all the hard work they have done.
A shocker: Speedo is upset.
I do feel sorry for the effect of FINA's yoyo-ing on the suit manufacturers, including Speedo.
But I think it is a little dishonest for Speedo to say "Speedo has always believed that there is no place in the sport for buoyancy aids." Maybe not as buoyant as the impermeable suits, but most people I know who have worn Speedos (from Fastskins on up) feel like they are buoyant, especially when dry.
And why should buoyancy be forbidden any more than any other type of aid, such as compression?
Schubert thinks that the tech suit era records should be stricken:
QUOTE]
Schubert has been an idiot for some time now. His "you gotta wear a LZR or you can't win" comments less than two years ago just seem ridiculous. He should just keep his mouth shut. Not many good things come out of it.
And why should buoyancy be forbidden any more than any other type of aid, such as compression?
That is the pertinent question; aid.
Are you anti-taping body parts? Anti-goggles (safety issues aside)?
Heck, I don't know. I do feel that the ability for all to wear the latest tech suits is limited, by design.
Where do you draw the line?
