Like them or hate them, tech suits have damages the reputation of swimming in the mind of the John or Jane Q. Public. For the good of the sport, I'm glad they're going away.
During the 2008 Olympics, I was Jane Q. Public. I think I had swam in one or two meets, and just trying all this out. I was glued to my TV, finally understanding the race distances and whatnot, and I thought the tech suits were neat, made for good TV. Made me want to be part of that. I don't think there's much outrage over tech out there in the public, but for the type of people who hate that the future always gets in the way of reminiscing over some fictional golden era.
I'll probably not buy a tech suit, because at my level what does it matter? I'm still beating personal bests and having fun jockeying for 10th or 11th place at big meets with the other gals at my level. And there are a lot of us at my level, for whom a top 10 is a long-off reach goal. Besides, spending more than $50 on a suit is painful for me, I work at a non-profit.
The suit cost argument is silly at a masters level, because there are so many advantages masters swimmers with money have. You can afford to go to away meets, you can afford to buy a pool for your house that you own, you can afford the extra time to swim, or to move to a part of the country where there is ample pool access. Should we start creating handicaps to level out people who have to work 60 hours a week with a one-hour commute versus those who work 20 hours from home? Because that's an advantage, for sure.
BTW, ladies, at these rock bottom prices, tech suits are now less expensive than spanx...
Like them or hate them, tech suits have damages the reputation of swimming in the mind of the John or Jane Q. Public. For the good of the sport, I'm glad they're going away.
During the 2008 Olympics, I was Jane Q. Public. I think I had swam in one or two meets, and just trying all this out. I was glued to my TV, finally understanding the race distances and whatnot, and I thought the tech suits were neat, made for good TV. Made me want to be part of that. I don't think there's much outrage over tech out there in the public, but for the type of people who hate that the future always gets in the way of reminiscing over some fictional golden era.
I'll probably not buy a tech suit, because at my level what does it matter? I'm still beating personal bests and having fun jockeying for 10th or 11th place at big meets with the other gals at my level. And there are a lot of us at my level, for whom a top 10 is a long-off reach goal. Besides, spending more than $50 on a suit is painful for me, I work at a non-profit.
The suit cost argument is silly at a masters level, because there are so many advantages masters swimmers with money have. You can afford to go to away meets, you can afford to buy a pool for your house that you own, you can afford the extra time to swim, or to move to a part of the country where there is ample pool access. Should we start creating handicaps to level out people who have to work 60 hours a week with a one-hour commute versus those who work 20 hours from home? Because that's an advantage, for sure.
BTW, ladies, at these rock bottom prices, tech suits are now less expensive than spanx...
