USA Swimming demands specifics from FINA on its plans to restrict suits in 2010. (Jonathan Newton, The Washington Post)
USA Swimming will attempt to rally international support for an immediate ban on swimsuits that extend past the shoulders and knees unless the world governing body of swimming (FINA) in the next two weeks provides a specific plan for reining in suits, USA Swimming President Jim Wood said Wednesday night.
“We need feedback from FINA right now,” Wood said.
Wood said USA Swimming would push for rule changes to restrict the high-tech suits at FINA’s annual Congress, which takes place immediately before the July 25-Aug. 2 world championships in Rome. Last November, USA Swimming submitted proposed legislation to limit the suits’ length.
Wood said it would also attempt to develop, in consultation with other nations, amendments that addressed more technical elements such as permeability and buoyancy.
“We have definitely talked to other federations about this,” Wood said. “This is not one country being against suits; this is what people universally believe… We need to put a stop to the technological [race], to get together and make changes.”
No swimsuit restrictions could go into effect before the championships, Wood said, but USA Swimming wants action well before January of next year, when FINA has promised to revisit the issue. Bylaw changes require a majority vote of the Congress’s 200-plus member nations.
FINA decided Monday not to ban any of the 136 suits it had rejected after an initial review in May, saying in a statement it could not make accurate determinations about which enhanced performance. FINA has approved 400 suits from more than two dozen manufacturers for use at the world championships despite the increasingly skeptical view of them.
Since the latest of the high-tech suits were introduced early in 2008, more than 120 world records have been set.
“Up until Monday, we thought FINA was making some progress on this issue,” Wood said. “We were very disappointed when the list came out. We think we’re back to square one on the suit issue.”
Wood said he sent FINA’s executive body—president Mustapha Larfaoui of Algeria; honorary secretary Bartolo Consolo of Italy; and treasurer Julio Maglione of Uruguay—a private communication to express USA Swimming’s dismay.
The issue has provoked an international outcry, particularly from U.S. and Australian coaches and swimmers.
“I would like to see them put something solidly in writing and ask the Congress to pass that,” Wood said. “I’d be very, very happy if they were willing to step up and take control of the situation and do it that way.”
Now that the LZR is not the “fastest” suit. USA is a little worried that the golden boy will get beat.
The only way “golden boy will get beat” is if someone uses a suit that enhances buoyancy to the extent that some of these suits do right now. That’s not swimming, that’s paddling on a surfboard. All things being equal, no one can touch Phelps. He is hands down the most dominant all-around swimmer ever, and has pretty much owned his competition since 2001.
from the title you could read it as all suits to be banned. I guess naked swimming will be the new thing here in the good ol’ US of A
compression… buoyancy… they’re both advantages. how is a 2% improvement allowed, but a 5% is too much? either ban all this technology, including every advanced suit made in the past 15 years, or ban none of them. i say we go back to lycra briefs!
FINA’s actions and motivation must be questioned. The ineptitude of THE governing body of our sport is astounding. Are they not listening to those who compete in and and coach the sport? We want a decision! But these idiots from the swimming powerhouses of Algeria, Italy and Uraguay say ”Let all the technology in now and we’ll figure it out later” instead of ”let none of the technology in now and we’ll figure it out later”. Seems to be a simple, albeit conservative, decision to me. Much of what I’ve read from the swimming community is that the participants would rather see the sport is about the athletes and not the suit. I agree with Matt – let’s go back to lycra briefs.
When you catch yourself and others asking what swimsuit a person wore when they won this event or that event or set this or that record, the suits have obviously detracted from the sport, and that’s where we are. I am in full agreement with Rob’s assessment of the swimming community. We all want to bring the focus back to the athletes and away from the suits.
I personally dont have a problem with the old compression suits, like the FS II. They are relatively cheap compared to their high tech counterparts, and really dont give an advantage other than energy conservation. However, when we start getting into buoyancy and water repellance, thats where technology starts to replace training. A swimmer who has trained so much harder can be beaten by another who won because he can afford a 400 dollar suit. The purely compression suits keep the fun of “speed suits” for big races, without taking away from the sport of swimming
Hi. I like the way you write. Will you post some more articles?
Thanks for the kind words. I will be posting a lot from the U.S. championships beginning tomorrow. Thanks again… Amy
I dont think it matters what swimsuit you wear, if you train hard and work hard then the results will come after that, the LZR is a joke to me i dont see why anyone would want to spend over $300 dollars for a swimsuit that they will have for 3 meets and then buy a new one, pointless, my FS II still works amazing and i have had it for 3 years.