not surprising, swim suits are for decency. FINA finally took the correct stance on their own rule, they aren't allowing suits to have much more fabric beyond what's necessary for decency. The extra unnecessary fabric is "device that helps our speed, pace or buoyancy during races"
The proper thing to do is to "reset" swimming world records back a few years, it's not really fair for men in jammers & women in knee skins to try to break records swimmers did in full body tech suits. Let's go back to WR times done by swimmers who wore qualifying suits, like Popov's 21.6 50 WR then let the breaking begin.
But the real question for us is
What is FINA & USMS going to do with suit rules for masters?
why not let masters use up the excess inventory of fullbody suits?
Paul, are you already starting to create excuses for 2010?
I don't know about the rest of you, but I fully intend of swimming faster in 2010 regardless of what suit I'm wearing. I'm going to try this innovative method call training harder & smarter plus supplement that with a better diet.
I've always been one to do just that Patrick...
I also have never been caught up on times...I like to race and always prefer open seeding so I can swim against the fastest swimmers including youngsters like you...with or without a tech suit.
Last but not least my single biggest gripe is how short sided and poorly handled this entire situation with suit inovation has been. I will go with whatever is decided to be legal but will also recognize the impact that wearing such a suit has on how fast my times are...and to tell you the truth I've been so fed up with all this crap that I've shifted my attention to open water. Only to find that when I enter a non-wetsuit division people can wear a B70...whatever.
Hello,
I'm a master swimmer form Europe, can you tell where did you get the info that FINA rules (this one?) don't apply to masters. I must say this surprises me, but so does going back to the previous century rules (1994-96?!).
As a disclaimer I must say I own a swim shop. From this it is my experience that swimmers with strong legs (mostly master swimmers) have a problem with jammer as they get to tight from the elastic just above the knee, this problem does not happen with legskins (no problem at the ankle).
Regards
VC22
Absolutely agree on the latter point. This is one reason I detest knee skins.
I believe it was the Press Secretary of FINA that made the statement that FINA standards do not apply to masters. According to FINA, they had no intention of regulating suits for masters as we are of such lesser importance. (See Craig Lord on swimnews.com) And, indeed, during the two month or so FINA/USA ban on tech suits based on the first list, masters continued to wear their LZRs and B70s in masters meets and their ensuing WRs continued to be accepted by FINA.
(from the AP article)
"Schubert also backs attaching an asterisk to records set over the last 18 months".
(from dictionary.com)
as'-ter-isk Origin: 1350–1400; ME
Now, that is funny. It is amazing that a bunch of closed minded, old farts want to keep things the way they use to be.
Even more amazing is that a bunch of old farts on this message board care enough to ridicule the other old farts.
"Schubert also backs attaching an asterisk to records set over the last 18 months"
Mark Schubert really ought to clam up. He looks more like a clown every time he opens his mouth lately.
And I don't think this mean all tech suits are illegal. The textile only stipulation would suggest to me they are rolling things back to the pre-LZR days.
I'm all for the "textile" only rule.
But I've said before and I'll say again, I think it is gender discrimination to limit coverage. A woman can gain advantages by a suit covering her torso, and so should a man. Either that, or women gotta start showing off the goods while wearing briefs/jammers only.
I'm totally against the rule.
But it doesn't apply to us old farts anyway unless and until USMS says it does.
The article was vague and poorly written. Schubert should just clam up. And it doesn't even put specific dates in. It's all very fuzzy.
