Some Aging Competitors Call High-Tech Swimsuits Dirty Pool
Former Member
Wall Street Journal article: online.wsj.com/.../SB125721159786824325.html
Michael Mann of Centennial, Colo., flew past his opponents, swaddled shoulder-to-ankle in a black neoprene bodysuit. Mr. Mann, 55, won the 400-meter individual medley race and set a world record for his age group, 55 to 59. Mr. Mann set new world marks in the 200-, 400- and 800-meter freestyle while Mr. Evans steamed.
Maybe most of Mike's advantage over Clay is that he currently works a lot harder at his swimming and fitness than Clay.
Exactly.
The real unfair advantage is that Michael Mann is able to devote so much time and attention to swimming. Competition won't be "fair" until USMS imposes a training limit of, say, 7 hours a week to limit the economic advantage that Mann has over those of us who cannot or don't want to overcome the opportunity costs to our incomes and time.
Of course, that’ll never happen. Nor should it. Which makes the rules on tech suits all the more puzzling.
(oh, by the way, I was standing behind the blocks in Thousand Oaks when Michael Mann set his record in the 200 free, as The Journal noted today. I concluded that, if I were to work out with him every day, I still wouldn't be fast enough to see his feet at the end of a 200. How about a rule that requires the fast guys to wear sneakers when they swim?).
Maybe most of Mike's advantage over Clay is that he currently works a lot harder at his swimming and fitness than Clay.
Exactly.
The real unfair advantage is that Michael Mann is able to devote so much time and attention to swimming. Competition won't be "fair" until USMS imposes a training limit of, say, 7 hours a week to limit the economic advantage that Mann has over those of us who cannot or don't want to overcome the opportunity costs to our incomes and time.
Of course, that’ll never happen. Nor should it. Which makes the rules on tech suits all the more puzzling.
(oh, by the way, I was standing behind the blocks in Thousand Oaks when Michael Mann set his record in the 200 free, as The Journal noted today. I concluded that, if I were to work out with him every day, I still wouldn't be fast enough to see his feet at the end of a 200. How about a rule that requires the fast guys to wear sneakers when they swim?).
