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.
First: Why should we change the rules, which affect everyone, in order to protect "the greatest swimmer in the world" from the consequences of poor business judgment?
We shouldn't. Phelps was merely one example. These suits have a rich history of not being available to everyone. Last year at NCAAs only Auburn had the Jaked. When the LZR first came out it was very difficult to get. Brett Hawke had an interview on floswimming where he discussed how Cesar Cielo--who ended up winning the gold medal--didn't get ahold of a LZR until just before his race in Beijing. There are numerous other examples. OK, you could certainly argue that if availability is the problem then why not set better rules to address that. Yeah, perhaps, but why not just set a standard for suit design and materials where we really don't have to worry about these things? Yes, we could all swim faster if fins and paddles were allowed, too, but would that be good for the sport?
First: Why should we change the rules, which affect everyone, in order to protect "the greatest swimmer in the world" from the consequences of poor business judgment?
We shouldn't. Phelps was merely one example. These suits have a rich history of not being available to everyone. Last year at NCAAs only Auburn had the Jaked. When the LZR first came out it was very difficult to get. Brett Hawke had an interview on floswimming where he discussed how Cesar Cielo--who ended up winning the gold medal--didn't get ahold of a LZR until just before his race in Beijing. There are numerous other examples. OK, you could certainly argue that if availability is the problem then why not set better rules to address that. Yeah, perhaps, but why not just set a standard for suit design and materials where we really don't have to worry about these things? Yes, we could all swim faster if fins and paddles were allowed, too, but would that be good for the sport?
