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.
By the same token, solving the small problem with a huge "solution" of setting new standards for suit design and changing all the swimming businesses from top to bottom
I just don't really see why this is a "huge" solution. As the governing body of the sport it seems to me FINA has every right to regulate the equipment that can be used in competition under their auspices. Nearly every sport has rules governing what equipment is allowed. FINA's biggest problem was allowing the situation to get out of hand before reacting. And I really don't see how this changes the swimming businesses "from top to bottom," either. Yes, they now have suit designs that are illegal and will probably have some stock that will now be hard to sell, but otherwise it should be business as usual. Swimmers will still need to buy suits. They just have to design and market suits that conform to the new rules.
By the same token, solving the small problem with a huge "solution" of setting new standards for suit design and changing all the swimming businesses from top to bottom
I just don't really see why this is a "huge" solution. As the governing body of the sport it seems to me FINA has every right to regulate the equipment that can be used in competition under their auspices. Nearly every sport has rules governing what equipment is allowed. FINA's biggest problem was allowing the situation to get out of hand before reacting. And I really don't see how this changes the swimming businesses "from top to bottom," either. Yes, they now have suit designs that are illegal and will probably have some stock that will now be hard to sell, but otherwise it should be business as usual. Swimmers will still need to buy suits. They just have to design and market suits that conform to the new rules.
