Comments on: FINA Second-Guesses Men’s Suit Restrictions

By: 808

808 — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:09:32 +0000

FINA YOU ARE SOOOO STUPID!!!!!

By: Carlos

Carlos — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 07:57:18 +0000

drmst6…those product you are talking about have been around for a number of years being used in different industrial applications. Anything is possible in this hi tech World. Just think, the web has only been around something like 15 years and now someone may have found a vacine for Aids and less people are dying from cancer than every before in history. So, anything is possible and in the swimming world sme people can’t handle new technology. They would rather live in the “Stone Age”.

By: Carlos

Carlos — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 07:47:02 +0000

Well Amy….Looks like Craig Lord is taking aim at you for writing this article. Craig Lord just writes a lot of B.S. and likes seeing his name in print. I think he is bad for swimming and needs to go if one can’t comment on his articles. Bodysuits been around for 9 years, so what is the problem! Problems don’t hang around for 9 years waiting to be fixed. I feel some of the Federation are upset with Jaked and other new suit makers because no or little money flowed back to them. This was an easy way to get rid of them and go back to what was before with the suit makers sending money to the Federations pockets in order to do busy. All that does is drive up the cost of a swimsuit. Its all politics…..

By: drmst6

drmst6 — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 04:53:14 +0000

How will you know if the suit is actually 50% permeable? How do you propose we effectively track and monitor all the suits being made, from manufacturer, to retail outlet, to buyer (swimmer)? No one is going to test the suits on site, and counterfeiting labels is a growth industry world-wide.

There is a product now being developed which decreases the permeability of fiberous materials and adds tremendous bouancy to the fabric, simply by soaking the garment overnight. Once the material dries, there is negligible weight increase of the original fabric.

By: Carlos

Carlos — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:08:52 +0000

When Fina came out with the 50% permeability ruling for Jan 1, 2010…I thought that was fair and would eliminate the polyurethane suits. Bodysuit have been around for something like 9 years. What is the big deal. Bodysuits with 50% permeability is a step forward, one not to big. 100% polyuthane suits was too much. Really, a swimsuit resisitance to water shouldn’t be that much less than the best that natural skin gives. A few of you out there won’t believe it, the skin has a different friction factor from individual to individual. So if one is born with big feet, big hands, tall and with the right skin he’ll /she’ll maybe will a top swimmer if they’re cordinated.

This summer FINA with all the rule changes seem to be random and done without much thought. Why move a sport back 10 years or more. All the rule changes caught people off guard and now a lot of swimmers and bussiness have an LZR that won’t be worth anything in a few months or weeks. But the USA Youth Team will go to Europe this Winter and compete in the FINA SCM World Cup series wearing the hi tech suits. If Jan 1, 2010 was go enough for the Europeans it should be go enough for us swimming in the USA Swimming meets and in Europe. Otherwise, USA Swimming could be safely label as hypocritics.

My position, Bodysuits 50% permeability and the manufactures drop the price!

By: Arvydas Barzdukas

Arvydas Barzdukas — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:13:11 +0000

Since men and women rarely race together, there is no advantage or disadvantage because of the amount of skin that is showing. If it’s a sponsorship issue, why don’t the swimmers wear logo baseball caps on the blocks and take tham off before “Take your mark,” like the racing drivers take off their helmets and put on the sponsor’s cap for the cameras. The men also could have a waterproof stick-on sponsor’s logo on their chests. That would not slow them down. And most soccer at kid level elsewhere in the world is played without shin guards with whatever ball is handy. That’s about the extent of soccer “technology.” If a boy is going to start swimming because he wants a swim suit that looks like what the girls wear, we are in more trouble than we think.

By: atarijpb

atarijpb — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:22:44 +0000

I’m not arguing that the suits do or do not do anything (personally, I think they do – for some a lot more than others.) I am saying that by placing a ban on the evolution of the suits may not be the best thing for the sport.

Other sports have evolved. Swimming has to ride a fine line between evolution and history. I am just not sure this ban is the way to go.

Also – I still disagree about soccer. The tech of the shoes and the ball make it a different game. Just my opinion! If we want to get into the idea of upgrades, couldn’t you make an argument that the suits pre-plastic era (Fastskin, Aquablade, etc…) were radically different than what was worn in the 60′s? Should we allow goggles? Don’t those allow a significant advantage in training, and noted by Sherm Chavoor in his book “The 50-Meter Jungle?”

All advances in gear create change – some more than others, some not as noteworthy at the time. I think what is so off-putting for so many is the quick and devastating way the suits changed the game. Other thoughts?

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:39:53 +0000

drmst6

I suppose it could be worse. That blueseventy could have gotten you hooked on a beer worse than Bud Light. Oh, wait, there is no beer worse than bud light.

Swimming is never going to be basketball or football, and I’m not covinced yet that it should try. If the only way we can “hook” more kids is through the artificial boost of the suits, then we may have to figure out how to get along without them.

By: Godolphin

Godolphin — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:21:46 +0000

atarijpb – respectfully, I also disagree. While soccer has changed during the last 50 years there is nothing in uniform upgrades which dramatically impacts player performance. It’s true that footwear has become lighter but that does not give an increase in speed. The uniform has changed little, other than style and material, none of which improves speed or endurance. The increases in speed and endurance are a direct result of; improved fitness, training techniques, nutrition, etc etc. Exactly the same as swimming until the introduction of ‘the suits’.

By: drmst6

drmst6 — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:03:32 +0000

I take back what I wrote previously. I am now OPPOSED to wearing high-tech swimwear.

Peter explained how, if we allow swimmers to wear high-tech suits, it will lead to a culture of cheating, drugs, crime, and violence. I’ve been wondering why I recently developed an insatiable thirst for Quentin Tarantino movies and Bud Light…it all started when I bought that BlueSeventy suit!