I live in the Washington area, and I cringed when I saw the article. I take a bit of pride being associated with masters swimming, but this article, and the fact that masters swimmers are debating this issue I find embarrassing.
Just to offer one more person's perspective: FINA banned the suits because they provide advantages deemed inappropriate for swimming competition - the same concept that outlaws wetsuits. To me that says it all.
It is called "Masters Swimming" - meaning (real) swimming competition for masters athletes. Its not called "Masters Aqua Games", or some other name that would acknowledge that we are really a beer league.... something separate and fundamentally different than "actual" competitive swimming.
I cringed as well. I opened the link expecting a well reasoned article one way or the other on the issue and was met with something quite different and odd quotes from our leadership. I would also prefer that USMS follow the rules of FINA (whatever those end up being) so that our records/sport are not viewed as a beer league as you call it.
However, if USMS leadership and a vast majority of its members don't want to follow FINA suit rules, then we should be very clear that we are not following FINA's rules because we like going fast and not going backwards, we can afford it, and our organization is about people having fun and choice in how we swim. In that case, maybe we should just open it up to wetsuits and suit stacking as well. Beer leagues can be fun, but not going with FINA's rules would change USMS to something different than what it is currently. Maybe USMS can attract some of the elite swimmers to wear rubber suits at our nationals and our USMS records can be faster than existing world records (if FINA wipes out all the existing rubber suit records). Perhaps, USMS can become (or sponsor) that professional swim league that someone thought would be a good idea a few months ago and USMS can remarket itself as kind of a swimming circus sideshow.
Tim
I live in the Washington area, and I cringed when I saw the article. I take a bit of pride being associated with masters swimming, but this article, and the fact that masters swimmers are debating this issue I find embarrassing.
Just to offer one more person's perspective: FINA banned the suits because they provide advantages deemed inappropriate for swimming competition - the same concept that outlaws wetsuits. To me that says it all.
It is called "Masters Swimming" - meaning (real) swimming competition for masters athletes. Its not called "Masters Aqua Games", or some other name that would acknowledge that we are really a beer league.... something separate and fundamentally different than "actual" competitive swimming.
I cringed as well. I opened the link expecting a well reasoned article one way or the other on the issue and was met with something quite different and odd quotes from our leadership. I would also prefer that USMS follow the rules of FINA (whatever those end up being) so that our records/sport are not viewed as a beer league as you call it.
However, if USMS leadership and a vast majority of its members don't want to follow FINA suit rules, then we should be very clear that we are not following FINA's rules because we like going fast and not going backwards, we can afford it, and our organization is about people having fun and choice in how we swim. In that case, maybe we should just open it up to wetsuits and suit stacking as well. Beer leagues can be fun, but not going with FINA's rules would change USMS to something different than what it is currently. Maybe USMS can attract some of the elite swimmers to wear rubber suits at our nationals and our USMS records can be faster than existing world records (if FINA wipes out all the existing rubber suit records). Perhaps, USMS can become (or sponsor) that professional swim league that someone thought would be a good idea a few months ago and USMS can remarket itself as kind of a swimming circus sideshow.
Tim
