Well, I'm coming back to swim at Master's meets after a 5 year hiatus (surgeries, etc) and find that I cannot wear my "Farmer John" suit bought in 2000 and worn in 4 previous national meets (except this spring). Not a "tech" suit by any means but a hell of a beer-gut bra! Not sure I would get on the blocks without it so the hiatus may continue. Is it worth alienating us "plus-sized" guys over this silly rule? I suppose it will give me yet another reason to dump some weight. Looks like those other 50+ breaststrokers won't get beat by this fat guy any time soon.
Anyone else out there feel the same? I know most of you out there don't have this problem but to have a rule that reduces participation seems counterproductive.
Lee Rider
Fort Bragg, CA
If you tell me that, honestly, you find such behavior distracting and (more importantly) detrimental to you own race then perhaps I will reconsider my stance...
It's absolutely distracting and absolutely detrimental to someone else's race.
If I'm next to you, and we're the same speed (which would be expected if we're seeded next to each other), then there are at least two issues:
Distracting: I don't notice anything during fly, since you're doing fly. During the backstroke, I probably don't notice anything because I'm on my back, and you're probably just out of my view. However, when I turn onto breaststroke, I'm going to naturally spend the entire breaststroke length wondering why the %$#$% you're still doing fly. That distracts me from me race. Maybe I don't notice the person on the other side of me who's catching me on the breaststroke.
Detrimental: Butterfly is a stroke that naturally causes a lot of water turbulence. Anyone who has ever done a butterfly set with more than one person per lane knows this. In the aforementioned race, when I turn onto the breaststroke, you're going to at least then be pulling ahead of me. I'm going to be doing my breaststroke eating your butterfly kick wake, which is quite turbulent. That will slow me down since my water will be far less smooth.
So there you are... distracting, and detrimental.
-Rick
I was thinking about wearing my LZR for an off race at my next meet (whenever that is!). I would expect to be DQ'd but I would expect to be able to swim the race. I don't see how it effects anyone else?
Your decision to cheat and invoke an automatic DQ keeps a non cheating swimmer from participating in the heat where they belong. Therefore, your actions have affected the entire meet. Not real complicated.
So there you are... distracting, and detrimental.
I agree, and I'd also add it's just a breach of decorum--for lack of a better word. You are expected to attempt to swim your events legally. I think anyone who does something illegal, and clearly does it on purpose, should be thrown out of the meet. It's bush league.
I suspect you would be able to swim if you went to the Clerk of the Course and requested to swim an exhibition race and let the others in the heat know what you were doing.
I suspect you would be able to swim if you went to the Clerk of the Course and requested to swim an exhibition race and let the others in the heat know what you were doing.
Allen, I would agree that if you had permission to swim as an exhibition race it would be allowed and you would likely get a time. It still would not count for place in the event or for team points.
What would the USMS stance be if a meet included an exhibition race or races allowing tech suits as a separate event(s)? Would this meet be sanctioned?
Why would an exhibition heat or race cause a meet to lose a sanction?! I recently swam in a fun exhibition relay that was DQ'd. What's the big deal? Can't we have any fun at meets? Last fall, I also swam a 50 shooter in the course of a 100 free race right next to someone doing a 50 fly for time in the same race. Can't we have some flexibility and less rigidity?
And perfectly legal races, like split requests, can cause "disruption ..."
Besides, there is a difference between breaking a rule, which leads to disqualification, and cheating.
No, there really isn't any difference. Of course, your logic has also been employed by some of our greatest athletes - Ben Johnson, Floyd Landis, Roger Clemens, A-Roid - those are the first few stellar examples that come to mind.
You can pull your stunt at 2011 Nationals and see how it pans out for you. That can be your test kitchen since it's all about you and no one else.
What is the difference and does it matter if you are wearing an approved suit or not. You should only be DQ'd if you set a record and are not wearing a Fina Approved suit.
I'm confused... Is this question about what we can wear at Nats this spring? Why is wearing a 5-year old farmer john considered cheating when we can wear the long-legged neoprene suits there anyway? Maybe I'm off, but I didn't think that wearing old tech suits was illegal for Nats this year.
