I am posting this as an informational item only. If you guys want to start another tech suit flame war over this, have at it, but I won't be participating.
Yesterday, I received an email which stated:
United States Masters Swimming is considering whether to allow Tech Suits (ie Blue 70, Speedo Fastskins, etc ) at short course yards meets.
Pacific Masters is polling swimmers who registered for the 2010 Pacific Masters Short Course Championships to find out what our swimmer's opinion is of this proposed rule change. The polling will close at noon, Tuesday September 7th.
This poll should take less than five minutes to complete. We do value your opinion, we hope to find out more about what our members think.
Unfortunately, having responded to the poll questions I can no longer access the poll, or I would post the questions too.
I'm sure they're just trying to understand the views of their most competitive swimmers, and that's a worthwile subset of the overall demographic to understand since that is the market for these suits. I suspect the results will be consistent with all other formal and informal polls I've seen on the topic (which favor keeping the suits banned) but maybe not by as significant a margin as a poll of the general USMS population. If you polled just those swimmers who won an event at PMS championships, I think the results would possibly favor the suits. But what people in the last few heats fail to realize is that there are LOTS of people at the big regional meets that still don't wear the suits and don't want too. Their voices will likely carry the day.
George, I am always happy to cast my "keep the suits banned" vote. I don't envision changing that viewpoint until FINA changes theirs for elite/age group competition, and right now I'd advocate against that as well.
I'm sure they're just trying to understand the views of their most competitive swimmers, and that's a worthwile subset of the overall demographic to understand since that is the market for these suits. I suspect the results will be consistent with all other formal and informal polls I've seen on the topic (which favor keeping the suits banned) but maybe not by as significant a margin as a poll of the general USMS population. If you polled just those swimmers who won an event at PMS championships, I think the results would possibly favor the suits. But what people in the last few heats fail to realize is that there are LOTS of people at the big regional meets that still don't wear the suits and don't want too. Their voices will likely carry the day.
George, I am always happy to cast my "keep the suits banned" vote. I don't envision changing that viewpoint until FINA changes theirs for elite/age group competition, and right now I'd advocate against that as well.
