The most ridiculous swim ever...

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

Former Member — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:32:45 GMT

FINA should have just had the balls to regulate properly. Why FINA certainly has the aforementioned anatomical components. They are just thinking with them, rather than using them as a testosterone source. Which, of course, makes their 'brains' about the size of my cat's brain.

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

Karlene — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:19:27 GMT

Hey Mel, that's an insult to cats everywhere. I know my cat's brain is larger than FINA's testicular buds.

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

Former Member — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:53:00 GMT

We have to stop using the suits, simple as that. Why? Because it is about SWIMMING, not about the outfit. I strapped myself in a Jaked-suit a couple weeks ago and shaved two seconds of my personal best on 100 butterfly (which I swam with briefs back in the day)... Oh, I stopped training 6 years ago and became a chainsmoker since, did I not mention that? The improvement should not have happened, but it did... Some suits just improve the swimmer too much... People who will not admit to that are just scared that they would lose in briefs... Have some pride and lose the suits!

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

Former Member — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:04:35 GMT

So were all the fast swims in Jaked or Arena suits? Every one I can recall. I've been watching on Universal network. The announcers have been pretty funny - carefully pointing out when non-U.S. swimmers are wearing the new suits, but softpeddling it when an American has one. I'd never seen Jaked suits before. They look like you're wearing an oil slick.

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

Former Member — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:33:45 GMT

After the new suits I have an idea....why dont we just let people blow up one of those old pool air filled floats...(you know the ones as kids you laid on and paddled around the pool) jump on them and go! to be against this is against technology.

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

Muppet — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:21:54 GMT

I think the PB v MP 200 race will give the kukors 2im a "most ridiculous suited swim ever" a good run for its money.

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

knelson — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:03:11 GMT

It wasn't really hijacking since lefty did start the thread by mentioning "...the most ridiculous suited swim of all time."

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

Tim L — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:35:41 GMT

You have confused the issue because this thread has been hi-jacked into a suit debate. (I have particpated in the hi-jack so oh well!). I am simply nominating this swim as the biggest completely-out-of-no-where / are you freaking kidding me swim. Sorry about the hi-jacking, but your examples were both swims that are instantly tied to the suit they wore. Tim

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

Bobinator — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:29:02 GMT

Cool article Chris. I used to wear nylon-tricot suits and I remember all this vaguely. I definitly remember feeling exposed in lycra! I guess change is always painful for some folks. :D

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

Chris Stevenson — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:21:29 GMT

The problem with this reasoning is the assumption that the same suit will benefit every athlete equally. If swimmer A has a superior natural position in the water and rides higher than swimmer B then it stands to reason that Swimmer B will derive more benefit from these suits. Swimmer A already had good posture and technique and therefore will benefit less. The problem with your argument is that these are already the most elite level swimmers in the world so the nitpicky parsing of differences is pretty irrelevant. If one swimmer has better body position that's a coaching and training issue, not a swimsuit issue I do think that the suits help even elite swimmers differently. I do not hang around the ultra-elite but I do see some pretty fast age-groupers very regularly. Some of the fast men are very muscled and power through the water; others are lithe and just seem to glide over it. Some swimmers are naturally more buoyant than others, and I have heard anecdotal stories from a couple college coaches about differential effects that they attributed (rightly or wrongly) to this natural buoyancy. Whether this effect of the suits is "unfair" or not, I can't say. Some of these differences -- diminished by the suits -- may not be the result of hard training or technique at all, but genetics. Would it be bad to nullify that? The playing field was not level before the suits; those suits may have just tilted it a little differently. Finally, I found this fascinating article about lycra suits when they first came out: vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/.../index.htm

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

aquageek — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 07:10:02 GMT

The problem with this reasoning is the assumption that the same suit will benefit every athlete equally. The problem with your argument is that these are already the most elite level swimmers in the world so the nitpicky parsing of differences is pretty irrelevant. If one swimmer has better body position that's a coaching and training issue, not a swimsuit issue and would be seen regardless of suit worn. Every person in the heat, heck every person in the meet, is wearing a tech suit which 100% nullifies the non level playing field allegation. The whiners are criers have won apparently so we will all regress to the 80s.

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

Former Member — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:16:12 GMT

So was Kukors the only person in the finals with the tech suit? If they all had them why didn't they all get records? I cannot believe a swimmer could be swimming in the World Championships and NOT have access to a tech suit. Enlighten me if I'm wrong. The problem with this reasoning is the assumption that the same suit will benefit every athlete equally. If swimmer A has a superior natural position in the water and rides higher than swimmer B then it stands to reason that Swimmer B will derive more benefit from these suits. Swimmer A already had good posture and technique and therefore will benefit less. They also help the athletes maintain a better position at the end of races when they'd normally get fatigued. The margin of advantage that athletes with superior endurance had is diminished or eliminated.

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

Stephen ONeill — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 05:41:40 GMT

One of things that I enjoy about swimming is that you really don't need a lot of expensive equipment, at most you need a suit, goggles, cap, kick board, paddles and pull buoy, maybe fins, total cost maybe $120.00. Gosh just a few years ago, if you wanted to race, you just needed a suit, googles and maybe a cap. So historically, the entry into the sport is not expensive, now if you want to compete at any reasonable level, you need a $500 suit, if this trend continues it will discourage a significant number of people from competing. For example, look at any high school sectional meet, everybody in the finals is wearing the high tech suit, if you don't have the right suit, you are not competitive I suspect that the same thing is happening at Masters meet, the swimmers wearing the high tech suits will swim faster,

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

Former Member — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 05:20:27 GMT

I think the PB v MP 200 race will give the kukors 2im a "most ridiculous suited swim ever" a good run for its money. PB did not drop a full second off the WR. And he aleast made the last Olympics in his event, nearly medaling. From a percentage basis, the improvements are about the same though...

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

Former Member — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 05:18:32 GMT

It wasn't really hijacking since lefty did start the thread by mentioning "...the most ridiculous suited swim of all time." yeah I suppose there is an assumption of the suits validity in that statement!

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

Chris Stevenson — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 05:14:40 GMT

Great quote from the SI article in Chris's post above "Indeed, the swimsuit of the future might well be a spray-on rubberized coating—in team colors—which can be peeled off after a meet." Indeed! And I do rememer the switch to lycra "Belgrade" suits being a big big deal since only "rich kids" could afford them. And the ribbons & tape sewn onto the "obscene" lycra suits...priceless! I thought that was pretty funny too. Weird that the 70s can seem so prudish nowadays. And the rubberized peel-off suit prediction WAS scarily accurate. For better or worse, less prescient was this statement: "The advent of nude competitive swimming may not be that far off."

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

gigi — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:28:50 GMT

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

tjrpatt — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:14:57 GMT

And, for the last time, there is no level playing field. In my age group experience, swimming is all about not having a level playing field. The suits are just another aspect.

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

ande — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:48:04 GMT

Trickett ditches Speedo for team bronze Questions, confusion suit US swim nationals well Speedo decided to allow its contracted athletes to wear whatever suit they want. Libby Trickett, for instance, was wearing an Arena suit during the 4x100 free relay.

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

The Fortress — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:47:31 GMT

The problem with your argument is that these are already the most elite level swimmers in the world so the nitpicky parsing of differences is pretty irrelevant. If one swimmer has better body position that's a coaching and training issue, not a swimsuit issue and would be seen regardless of suit worn. Every person in the heat, heck every person in the meet, is wearing a tech suit which 100% nullifies the non level playing field allegation. The whiners are criers have won apparently so we will all regress to the 80s. I'm with Geek. Kukors just swam better than the other suited up women in her event. There is simply no need for a total ban on tech suits. FINA should have just had the balls to regulate properly. They could have drawn the line at the LZR/B70, or drawn the line at the LZR (which they attempted to do last March or April and then reversed course), or regulated the age groupers. Moreover, it's the latest rash of suits -- Jaked, Hydrofoil, Arena that seem to be causing people to whine more than ever. If the suits had been introduced or approved more gradually, there wouldn't be people crying about returning "swimming to the swimmers." And, for the last time, there is no level playing field.

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

Bobinator — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:37:42 GMT

So were all the fast swims in Jaked or Arena suits?

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

Former Member — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:45:45 GMT

You have confused the issue because this thread has been hi-jacked into a suit debate. (I have particpated in the hi-jack so oh well!). I am simply nominating this swim as the biggest completely-out-of-no-where / are you freaking kidding me swim. But for your enlightenment, I think Stephanie Rice is contractually obligated to wear Speedo. Speedo decided to allow its contracted athletes to wear whatever suit they want. Libby Trickett, for instance, was wearing an Arena suit during the 4x100 free relay.

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

Former Member — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:41:39 GMT

In her interview after smashing the WR, she says she focused on the small things, getting off the walls faster, lifting more, ect. She doesn't mention the Jaked suit, and nor should she. uhh..okay

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

Former Member — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:06:17 GMT

Before 2009 Kukors best 200 IM was 2:10.40 World class for sure, but still a cut behind the top women in the event. Today she goes a 2:06.15 and in two days shaves more than a second off the world record. I nominate this swim, just ahead of Bousquets 20.94, as the most ridiculous suited up swim of all time. In her interview after smashing the WR, she says she focused on the small things, getting off the walls faster, lifting more, ect. She doesn't mention the Jaked suit, and nor should she.

RE: The most ridiculous swim ever...

Former Member — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:02:56 GMT

So was Kukors the only person in the finals with the tech suit? If they all had them why didn't they all get records? I cannot believe a swimmer could be swimming in the World Championships and NOT have access to a tech suit. Enlighten me if I'm wrong. You have confused the issue because this thread has been hi-jacked into a suit debate. (I have particpated in the hi-jack so oh well!). I am simply nominating this swim as the biggest completely-out-of-no-where / are you freaking kidding me swim. But for your enlightenment, I think Stephanie Rice is contractually obligated to wear Speedo.