FINA to allow bodysuits in Open Water

But USMS races often have wetsuit divisions, right? Like Big Shoulders? Correct. In my experience most USMS events do have a wetsuit division.

I am having a difficult time understanding how the self-professed purists can argue that USMS should follow FINA's lead when FINA is making decisions that are inconsistent and contradictory. Oh, Gull, my good friend, you used the "p" word on me! LOL I'm just following what I think, not what some organization that it obviously is conflicted (no doubt by financial considerations) is trying to do. That seems to be a recurring theme these days (See: Health Care Reform, for another money-driven mess) I heard many comments about Y Nats as well. Most of the comments I heard, though, centered around swimmers who were not regular Y members and hadn't previously competed for Y teams "crashing" Y Nats. Many of those swimmers were the ones wearing tech suits and breaking records. If Y Nats wants to limit competition to true Y swimmers (who often don't wear tech suits), it needs to revise its entry rules. I agree they were arguing the wrong point (cost) on tech suits. That's why I found it somewhat dull. Totally agree on Y Nats and the phony "cheap" memberships. Been a Y member for most of my life and have swum on championship teams and now a small group of less than 20 swimmers. Can't really see the benefit to the Y's that do that, unless they can flaunt their trophies for fund-raising purposes. Maybe there are some coaches who measure their success by the hardware. Kind of sad from either perspective. Wonder if they have the same problem at their regular Y Nats?

Sorry, I was actually referring to others on this forum--and they know who they are! That's OK. Sticks and stones, you know. My skin is thick and that's without even a Fastskin!

I am having a difficult time understanding how the self-professed purists can argue that USMS should follow FINA's lead when FINA is making decisions that are inconsistent and contradictory. I think you're mixing together two separate issues: 1. What our personal opinions are on what suits should be allowed 2. Whether we feel USMS should follow FINA's (admittedly poor) lead on suits. How you feel about the first issue could certainly influence your opinion on the second, but they are still different issues.

I love the quote from the FINA "press office": "The new rules relating to swimwear do not apply to open water. They apply to swimming." I think we need to find out if any of the FINA leadership actually know how to swim themselves or even what sport they are overseeing. WTH does a remark like this say of their understanding of the sport? I'm not sure I buy the rationale for keeping B70 swim skins in the OW, but not the pool. If it's to minimize negative effects from UV rays and coral, wouldn't a Pro bodysuit work as well as a swim skin? Last time I checked, B70s were pretty rippy. If it's for warmth, why can't swimmers wear a wetsuit and compete in the wetsuit division? The statement/announcement justifies the need for the swim skins as: assisting "progress" in a sport already experiencing a massive boom in popularity, providing "vital" commercial involvement, increasing participation and helping ensure confidence. Wouldn't these same rationales apply to the pool? Right on. FINA's inconsistency is amazing. On the bright side, maybe this is just the first shoe to drop in the inevitable back slide of full body tech suits back into the pool. Imagine this future FINA press release: LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND (21 September 2009) -- After recently attending the FINA 10KM MARATHON SWIMMING WORLD CUP in China, FINA leadership came to the realization that the propulsive activity used by competitors in open water events looks remarkably like the pool swimming stroke commonly referred to as freestyle or, more archaically, the front crawl. The FINA president commented after the event, "I was amazed by this event. If I put on imaginary blinders to obscure the waves and conjured up some lane lines, I could have swore that both Fran Crippen and Maarten van der Weidjen were swimming freestyle. When we talked with these individuals after the competition, they even explained that they actually considered themselves swimmers! We had no idea this was so!" After then touring the Beijing Water Cub and learning that swimming pools use an exceptionally strong chemical known as chlorine to keep the water clear, FINA leadership stated, "Much like in open water events where we must protect the competitors from the elements, we must have our pool competitors sheathed in chlorine resistant rubber over as much of their body as possible to provide a similar barrier to chemicals harmful to the health of the competitors."

I have always felt this kind of stance is a slap in the face to masters swimming, and nothing to be hoped for, no matter what one's feelings are about the suits. And that is the crux of it, right there. FINA has already said that the ban does not apply to us, which I suppose could be seen as a dismissive gesture that diminishes the relevance of Masters swimming. So if we take it upon ourselves to ban the suits, we will somehow be redeemed. Or something like that.

Since I have only swum in tech suits for almost 5 years, that's how I measure my progress. I've swum in a B70 since May 2008 and have a huge base of times for comparison. I'd rather stay on that track. But, if I can't, I also have a huge base of Pro times for comparison. For male swimmers to switch from a full body suit (be it a Blue Seventy or an FS Pro) to a pair of jammers will change our times significantly. Personally, I am not looking forward to that. I am having a difficult time understanding how the self-professed purists can argue that USMS should follow FINA's lead when FINA is making decisions that are inconsistent and contradictory.

Oh, Gull, my good friend, you used the "p" word on me! Sorry, I was actually referring to others on this forum--and they know who they are!

In order of priority, I think USMS' adherence to swimsuit rules, in pool and open water, should be: Aligned with FINA and the rest of the global Masters' community Aligned with FINA and the rest of the global elite/age-group/USA-S community Like everyone, I think FINA has botched this about every step of the way ... the recent OW ruling is just one more example. However, as there is even a smaller group of USMS swimmers who also compete in #2-style events, if there is a disconnect between #1 and #2, we should be in synch with the Masters community. Now, like Fort (I think), I believe we should allow full body tech suits with defined, measurable criteria. I'd base those criteria on what's on the market today and some very objective regulation scheme (anathema to my libertarian leanings as saying that is) in place moving forward. As Clydesdale is wont to say, "100% agree" (I think. ;)) Since only a miniscule percentage of masters pool swimmers compete in USS meets, I don't think USS rules should automatically determine our fate. If a masters swimmer is competing in a USS meet, he/she can follow USS rules (just as I did this summer during the first ban of the B70).

I don't think anything major is going to happen at Convention wrt the suits. This is a "legislation" year which means most concern is about governance, not rules. Really? I just heard that USMS voted at convention to follow FINA? I guess this puts competitive masters swimmers at a huge disadvantage compared to Europeans and possibly other countries.