2009 FINA/ARENA Swimming World Cup 2009 Series
16 – 17 October 2009 Durban (RSA) RESULTS
23 – 25 October 2009 Rio de Janeiro (BRA) (cancelled)
6 – 7 November 2009 Moscow (RUS)
10 – 11 November 2009 Stockholm (SWE)
14 – 15 November 2009 Berlin (GER)
21 – 22 November 2009 Singapore (SIN)
the site wrote:
"We would like to remind you that every swimmer participating to the FINA/ARENA Swimming World Cup 2009 Series shall only wear a swimsuit approved by FINA as published on the FINA website.
this is getting very cartoonish to watch a WR being broken at every event and now, week after week. It doesn't mean anything to watch these swims and see a WR being broken. It is getting too typical.
I've quite enjoyed watching beautiful swimming and the very fast racing at the World Cup thanks to Universal Sports.
But then I don't remember times and records like some of you.
To me, a record just highlights that no one in the category has ever moved so quickly.
Just read a great post from Glenn Mills this morning:
"All great times eventually become the same thing... CUTS"
I went back to his FaceBook to check the quote and found this response to yet another techsuit hit:
"Sorry MJ. Nor you or I could begin to touch on the "technology advancements" that have been made since you and I swam in beautiful Keating Nat. From training equipment, to facilities, to guys like Jonty developing training methods based on scientific data gathered by taking blood and tissue samples. Heck, do you remember all the video analysis we did when we swam... or do you remember anyone talking to you about technique? It didn't exist. We developed technical expertise based on survival. If you didn't swim correctly, you didn't survive the training.
Every part of our sport has advanced technologically and will continue to. The suits simply made things happen a bit more quickly than many people wanted. The athletes will continue to push the envelope based on whatever the rules are... but technology is everywhere in the sport.
If you could clone a person, and train them as closely as possible, but award one of them access to video analysis, scientifically based training determined by blood sampling daily, or weekly. Determine their dietary needs based on training and advice from the top nutritional experts. Put that swimmer in a nice, clear, smooth pool with great lighting to see the walls perfectly. Make sure they have the best goggles, proper equipment and access to anything else you can think of... while the other swimmer performs all the training in a typical high school 25 yard pool with no gutters and ropes for lane lines... Who do you honestly think is going to win a race?
Technology surrounds the top athletes. It was only that we could SEE the suits was there an understanding that there is an unlevel playing field. Which there always has been in all aspects of life.
Now, I'm not arguing with you... you and I should take much pride from swimming in the dungeon. We overcame a lot to succeed. I just don't think we can ever ignore that technology advancements are everywhere... seen and unseen.
One final note (I gotta get back to work... you know... doing swimming stuff). Even throwing out the steroid argument is so dangerous. When you do that, you liken the suits to cheating and dishonest people. That's simply not the case at all. I don't know how many times I have to say this... THE SUITS WERE LEGAL. They're just much easier to monitor than steroids.
1/1/2010 it comes to a screeching halt.
I agree. It does get a little old when there are world records broken at every swim. I hope that this trend will not continue.
Phelps looks silly ... but I think this will fuel him for next season. He is going to take the image of these beatings home and "repay" it next year.
Biedermann looked amazing - he just crushed the field. He is going to destroy Phelps in the 200 Free, if Phelps even makes the final....
I agree 100%. This is exactly what Phelps will feed off of. I do think that he will be ready though.
Phelps looks silly ... but I think this will fuel him for next season. He is going to take the image of these beatings home and "repay" it next year.
Biedermann looked amazing - he just crushed the field. He is going to destroy Phelps in the 200 Free, if Phelps even makes the final....
I don't think he looks silly at all. Phelps has nothing to prove to anyone at this point. I think he is running jammers because he took some time off and isn't in his usual competition condition. It gives him a place to go mentally when he doesn't perform up to his incredibly high standards. It helps him to get ready for next year, losing the feel of the body suits early. It probably gives him a little boost (and strikes yet more fear into the hearts of his competitors) when he does well: (a) in jammers; (b) out of shape; and (c) sporting facial hair. If he doesn't make the finals, he can easily, at least superficially, say "oh well, no worries," relying on a, b, & c.
That said, he is one of the fiercest competitors ever seen in the sport. Any beatdown he suffers by anyone at any time for any reason and despite any genuine, reasonable excuse seems to resonate deeply with him, and frequently motivates him to some super-human performance (e.g. 100 fly re-match with Cavic). He and Bowman have a great handle on how to light his fire when necessary, but also understand how not to light it too early or too often.
I think he's setting himself up perfectly for a post-suit competition world.
Singapore WC
Asia/Singapore is 13 hours ahead of America/New_York
Aaron Piersol, Lisbeth Trickett, Jessicah Schipper, Eamon Sullivan & many others are there
Results
WATCH
Fina WC site
