The cheaters are at it again :D
Now they are using floating devices ahhhh evil suits AND new evil starting blocks. :applaud:
Just watched the Berlin races ... the reactions times are down and I saw people approach the 5 meter mark on the entry - they are launching off those blocks.
Chris,
It doesn't slow down the meet at all to readjust the blocks. You just lift and slide to what ever position you want, it takes 2 seconds.
The blocks are expensive........the number that sticks in my head is $2,000 per, which is why they only had them at one end of he pool for SCM at Toronto last May.
I don't usually do a track start, but these blocks make it much easier and natural to put one foot back.
Those starting blocks are awesome!!! I used them when I swam at the Canadian Nationals in Toronto last May.:banana::canada:
I swam with Glenn at Toronto and the blocks are adjustable (forward and backward for relative leg length and body position). They were used in the shallow end of the pool and not in the deep end as I recall. I would think that one would need some training/practice before one could take full advantage. Personally, I could not discern a difference in acceleration or distance, but it deserves study.
If the new block does provide an assistive advantage, would FINA follow the swim skin logic and ban this device?
Just a thought on devices in general: compared to the old pools (wood pens without lane lines set in the ocean or a lake), our newest pools which are designed to minimize turbulence provide a significant advance (to all swimmers).
Could modern pools be considered cheating?
I love the look and idea of the new blocks - can't wait to try them out.
But I imagine it will be a long while before pool operators purchase the new blocks for every single competition pool.
It was interesting to notice that both Cameron VDB and Leisel Jones did the dolphin kick before the breaststroke pull down. This is definitly faster. Both broke the WR. Push off the wall with one hand over the other, at the end of the glide, move your hands apart and do the kick. This is legal if you start the pull down by moving you hands apart. Move them so the arms are still in streamline with your shoulders. Be careful not to do another kick on the pull down.
It's hard to see how it could be called cheating if everyone in the race has the same "assistive advantage." (It's not quite the same issue as the tech suits, where the swimmers have different suits.)
YES, the block WEDGE allows faster RT's & further dives,
swimmers have faster first 25's
Then they should be banned. These blocks will give an unfair advantage to some swimmers. We must have a level playing field. Bring back the starting blocks of the 1990's!
(It's not quite the same issue as the tech suits, where the swimmers have different suits.)
I heard this before as a reason to ban the suits and it's just silly. So if FINA declared that everybody was to wear a Jaked suit, we would be ok to use suits ?
All new innovations in swimming will affect different swimmers in different ways. The new blocks will help some swimmers more than others - that does not make them wrong (I was joking with the cheating headline). Butterfly kicks in *** help poor breaststrokers more than good ones. So what ..
