TECHSUITS BANNED (again): AP article on FINA ruling

I really think these suits should be banned for age group swimmers. The sad thing is, these swimmers aren't learning to swim the right way. If they don't have to work to get their body high on the water or get their back end up on their own, they aren't learning to swim well. If the suit is doing it, then what are they learning? Not everyone can afford these suits and there should be a level playing field when it comes to kids. If high school basketball players could buy shoes with springs in them to make them jump higher and those shoes were $500.00- $600.00 a pair, many kids would be forced out of basketball because they would not be able to afford those shoes. Then, if all the colleges recruited those basketball players and then some of them turned pro, it wouldn't be about who's the best player. It would be about who was able to get a hold of the best shoes. That's what these Blue seventies and Lasers are doing to our age group swimmers. That's not fair.

What a mess !!!

Although it appears I am in the minority lets ban them all ON EVERY LEVEL. Time to go back to the classic suit (circa 1992?).

Ban them all. even the playing field. no more full body suits in the pool.

..l. even the playing field. Wouldn't that be nice? An even playing field. Too bad there is no such in any sport, no matter what suits are or are not allowed. Even if they do decided to ban the tech suits, the playing field won't be close to being even. The one's that have access to the better coaching(coaches, trainers, stretchers,etc) better facilities, better teammates will still be ahead of the game. Regulate the suits better but don't ban them.

Swim53 all is not lost. With the right seamstress and sewing machine they can be altered to fit short legged people. It has been done with neck to ankle suits that have been damaged. A suit was altered to make it just above the knee. In fact I know of a swimmer who has had her suit repaired this way, It cost her $20.00.

I would have preferred a more strong governance model, with FINA setting the specs and standards, and the mfg'ers having to pay for the "proof" to submit a suit for approval, subject to audit of course. It's worked with other sports that have gone through similar technical innovation threats, such as golf. In the past my position was to do away with the tech suits altogether--so basically what FINA actually did--and I still think this will be OK, but I do agree with what you're saying. I think FINA at least had a start with their new testing protocol. Obviously it wasn't perfect, but I think with some tweaking they could have come up with something that would still allow for innovation, yet still keeping things fair. I do have to admit the new suits have added excitement to the sport. It hasn't always been positive, but it's been excitement.

Hello Masters Swimmers: Do we have the official wording that this regulation also applies to Masters Swimmers? Who can we contact? I think they should exclude Masters Swimmers. Is there any ideas of how to try not to include us. Myriam USMS automatically follows FINA unless the board votes not to(which they did after FINA outlawed the B-70 in a very ambiguous way.) I don't have any inside info but I suspect USMS will follow FINA if the rule seems fair.FINA can say they don't care about Masters,but then 2 min later they may change there mind so the safest thing to do is follow FINA rules(stupid as they may be.)

All of us at the Tech Suit Bashers Club Of America (TSBCA) "Blew out all the candles on the cake" and our wish came true! :applaud: The first thing on the agenda at the next meeting of the TSBCA is to urge FINA to go back to the suits used in the 1980s and 70s. Dolphin 2

USMS automatically follows FINA unless the board votes not to(which they did after FINA outlawed the B-70 in a very ambiguous way.) I don't have any inside info but I suspect USMS will follow FINA if the rule seems fair.FINA can say they don't care about Masters,but then 2 min later they may change there mind so the safest thing to do is follow FINA rules(stupid as they may be.) It would be best for USMS to implement the changes in May of 2010 after SCY season. Those swims do not matter in terms of FINA records and switching the rules in the middle of the season is always a bad idea.