maybe attendance was high it was because this event was sold as the "last chance" for THE SUITS
"Maybe" being the operative word. We'll never know, and Jeff has already said how difficult it is to predict attendance at nationals.
I'm sure that won't stop some from declaring the suits were responsible for the attendance.
I must say, however, that the whole cost argument is pretty much moot. With jammers now retailing for $200 plus, it seems that the Speedos of the world are out to do what Big Pharma has been so effective at: marketing products with a tiny tincture of active benefit, and whole lot of placebo halo effect buffed up by superstar endorsements.
Those are indeed outrageous prices for jammers. But I suspect that they will not sell as well as the full-body suits did; the added value over cheaper jammers or briefs is just not so readily apparent. I suspect the cost for men, on average, will be lower, probably by quite a bit.
I think annual suit costs for women may well be higher with the newer suits, unless some manufacturer comes up with a fairly durable model, the way B70 did before.
All right.
I will be the first to say what I know we are all thinking.
And by "we all" I mean me and Jeff Roddin.
Mandatory naked swimming for everyone competing in USMS meets.
Ahelee, I hope this does not get me banned for life from USA Swimming.
But if it does, I am taking Little Devil Jeffrey down with me.
Mandatory naked swimming for everyone competing in USMS meets.
That's one way to solve the tech suit/ technology issue!
TJBurk: Does that qualify for your "swimmer against swimmer" idea??? :D
The coverage issue seems a little convenient to me. Yes, I realize people like the full body suits and I do too, but men seemed perfectly content to swim in briefs before full body suits were readily available. It seems to me people decided coverage was really important only when the full body suits started to seem faster than briefs.
I wouldn't say "perfectly content" but that was the only option men had for years.
Once jammers came out, men really seemed to embrace them. Then the next step where the farmer john models, which came out shortly after the jammers.
Most men did seem to be content in jammers until the first fastskins were introduced.
Tanica Jamison is her name. Definitely an outstanding swimmer, but not a "household name" to swimmers like Cullen Jones.
The coverage issue seems a little convenient to me. Yes, I realize people like the full body suits and I do too, but men seemed perfectly content to swim in briefs before full body suits were readily available. It seems to me people decided coverage was really important only when the full body suits started to seem faster than briefs.
I wouldn't say "perfectly content" but that was the only option men had for years.
Once jammers came out, men really seemed to embrace them. Then the next step where the farmer john models, which came out shortly after the jammers.
Most men did seem to be content in jammers until the first fastskins were introduced.
I'm content swimming in anything...but then again...when you're me, it's easy to feel so confident...:D
I think we need a flurry of "State Flag" or "State Emblem" briefs to be worn around the USMS circuit now.
Wear your pride on your hide! That's what I say!
U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) is a national organization that provides organized workouts, competitions, clinics and workshops for adults aged 18 and over. Programs are open to all adult swimmers (fitness, triathlete, competitive, non-competitive) who are dedicated to improving their fitness through swimming.
Founded in 1970, the non-profit corporation is organized with over 500 clubs in 52 regions throughout the United States. Membership numbers more than 50,000, with individual members ranging in age from 18 to over 100.
Within the clubs, structured workouts, often with a coach, offer well-thought-out training assistance. Pool and open-water races provide opportunities to compete and measure individual progress at the local, state, national and international levels. USMS programs also offer stroke and technique clinics, workshops, and instruction, as well as social functions.
All USMS programs are designed to help swimmers improve fitness and/or train for specific goals, and offer active support for a healthy lifestyle through friendship, and camaraderie.
This whole tech suit coming back is absolute :censor: crap. FINA got rid of them. Convention Delegates voted to get rid of them. The Executive Board voted to get rid of them (albeit if only delaying the implementation date to June 1). ENOUGH!!
If USMS really wants to promote fitness and a healthy lifestyle as is bolded in the USMS Mission Statement above, then we need to stop turning a blind eye to our members who lead unhealthy lifestyles and stuffing their overweight bodies into slimming tech suits.
Instead, we should be encouraging our membership to, among other things,
challenge themselves more in workouts
participate in swim-related dryland exercise
crosstrain (run, bike, play hockey)
eat healthier and smarter
sleep better
I'm not saying all of our tech-suit wearing membership are fatties. I am saying that those who are need to not be encouraged to continue to stop by Krispy Kreme for coffee and donuts after practice - and that everyone needs to look for healthier alternatives to maintaining and increasing their speed in the water.
This whole tech suit coming back is absolute :censor: crap. FINA got rid of them. Convention Delegates voted to get rid of them. The Executive Board voted to get rid of them (albeit if only delaying the implementation date to June 1). ENOUGH!!
If USMS really wants to promote fitness and a healthy lifestyle as is bolded in the USMS Mission Statement above, then we need to stop turning a blind eye to our members who lead unhealthy lifestyles and stuffing their overweight bodies into slimming tech suits.
Instead, we should be encouraging our membership to, among other things,
challenge themselves more in workouts
participate in swim-related dryland exercise
crosstrain (run, bike, play hockey)
eat healthier and smarter
sleep better
I'm not saying all of our tech-suit wearing membership are fatties. I am saying that those who are need to not be encouraged to continue to stop by Krispy Kreme for coffee and donuts after practice - and that everyone needs to look for healthier alternatives to maintaining and increasing their speed in the water.
:bow: :bow: :bow:
Tanika Jones
Tanica Jamison is her name. Definitely an outstanding swimmer, but not a "household name" to swimmers like Cullen Jones.
The coverage issue seems a little convenient to me. Yes, I realize people like the full body suits and I do too, but men seemed perfectly content to swim in briefs before full body suits were readily available. It seems to me people decided coverage was really important only when the full body suits started to seem faster than briefs.
Also the argument that tech suits encourage elite swimmers (Jones, Gangloff, etc.) to attend USMS Nationals. OK, I'll buy the argument that it did this time, but will this trend continue? It's sort of a novelty this year since the suits were banned for everyone recently. Not only that, but do we really need to change the rules so a handful of Olympians might show up at Nationals? I love seeing these guys/gals at Nationals as much as the next person, but I don't think we should be changing rules to encourage this.
Everyone 35 and up enjoys seeing the young fast guys. Yeah, they're nice to have around and all, but you all don't have to compete against them except for in relays. If these guys keep showing up to our (tech-suit-free) meets, then fine, I can deal with that.
However, let's face it, we'll probably never see Fred Bousquet again. Because of folks like him, all us young folks (most of whom actually swim on MASTERS teams) get bumped out of top 10 and anyone who had a chance at USMS records now needs to be an olympic/world champs gold medalist to have a shot.
Bring the suits back again, and all the young people who have quit swimming and want to try to come back and have FUN at the sport for once get even further discouraged and slip into a life of potato chips, XBox Live, etc. Talk about your law of unintended consequences...
