During the SPMA meet, I floated a Tech suit compromise by a few swimmers and they all seemed to be very interested. I am sure this has been suggested before, but here is goes -
- allow all current tech suits for all yards meets for the next 3 years (you can always revisit this)
- adopt what FINA issues in January for all meters meets
I think both "sides" could live with this, USMS can still say they comply with FINA, but the tech suit "junkies" can still have a full season each year.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aquageek
The fact that the majority of the elite world wants to swim here in college nullifies your argument completely.
Word. Go back over the years and look at meet results from NCAAs, US Nationals, US Open, etc etc. Look at the number of fur'ners who swam at these meets. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a foreign swimmer with an above-average IQ over the age of 18 who doesn't understand SCY times.
Speaking here as a foreign swimmer coming to the US (and it was the same for most foreign swimmers I knew / know) : Swimming YARDS is a necessary evil when coming to train in the US. All foreign swimmer get a "phd" in time conversion during the first year of swimming here, but nobody enjoys it (the yards part that is). Besides the straight math of time conversion, it is very difficult for foreign swimmers to truly believe the depth and speed of college swimming. There are many US college swimmers who would make foreign National teams, but they sometimes don't even bother swimming long-course or are terrible at it - you just don't believe the times are real when you first get here. That's why I really liked the every 4 year meters meet at NCAAs, but they dropped that ...
and after 20 years, I have still not come to terms with swimming a 500 yards Free instead of a 400, maybe I will get to embrace it in my 50s or 60s
Quote:
Originally Posted by aquageek
The fact that the majority of the elite world wants to swim here in college nullifies your argument completely.
Word. Go back over the years and look at meet results from NCAAs, US Nationals, US Open, etc etc. Look at the number of fur'ners who swam at these meets. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a foreign swimmer with an above-average IQ over the age of 18 who doesn't understand SCY times.
Speaking here as a foreign swimmer coming to the US (and it was the same for most foreign swimmers I knew / know) : Swimming YARDS is a necessary evil when coming to train in the US. All foreign swimmer get a "phd" in time conversion during the first year of swimming here, but nobody enjoys it (the yards part that is). Besides the straight math of time conversion, it is very difficult for foreign swimmers to truly believe the depth and speed of college swimming. There are many US college swimmers who would make foreign National teams, but they sometimes don't even bother swimming long-course or are terrible at it - you just don't believe the times are real when you first get here. That's why I really liked the every 4 year meters meet at NCAAs, but they dropped that ...
and after 20 years, I have still not come to terms with swimming a 500 yards Free instead of a 400, maybe I will get to embrace it in my 50s or 60s
