Germany will compete in a four-nation meet along with the United States in mid-December, but star Paul Biedermann might be a no-show. (Stefano Rellandini, Reuters)
The suit rules unraveled, the competing countries changed, and small details continue to flummox organizers, but a USA-vs.-Europe meet slated for Dec. 18-19 in Manchester, England, will go on as scheduled — if not quite as planned.
When conceived in late July, the meet was intended to be a textile-only, short-suit event that would pit the United States against Great Britain, France and Russia.
But it evolved into a meet that will allow non-textile, long-length suits — anything legal through this year — while matching the United States against Great Britain, Germany and Italy.
“It’s been a challenge for sure,” said USA Swimming Assistant Executive Director Mike Unger on Thursday. “It’s been a long road.”
On the plus side, Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Aaron Peirsol, Ariana Kukors, Rebecca Soni and other top U.S. stars have committed to attend (a complete roster will be available next week). The meet will be televised on NBC from 2-4 p.m. on Dec. 27.
Unger said the United States has pressed, and will continue to press, for use of the same textile-only, short suits that will be required by FINA, the world swimming governing body, as of Jan. 1, 2010. But he said a definitive plan to use the new suits fell apart after France and Russia backed out.
When Italy came into the meet, Unger said, it requested that 2009 suits be worn because its sponsor, Jaked, hasn’t yet come up with 2010-approved suits (in fact, no Jaked suits were approved by FINA in the list it released Thursday).
Germany did not object to the suit plan when it agreed to compete, according to Unger, but it brought this problem: it hasn’t been able to guarantee its very best swimmers — namely, Paul Biedermann, who upset Phelps in the 200-meter freestyle at the world championships this summer.
Biedermann has a prior commitment, the same meet in Russia that caused the Russians to pull out in the first place.
Unger said Russia withdrew because many of its swimmers had committed to an annual meet known as the Salnikov Cup, slated for Dec. 19-20 in St. Petersburg.
France pulled out because of a sponsor problem, according to Unger. Its major sponsor, the French utility company EDF, essentially couldn’t co-exist in the same event with Great Britain’s main sponsor, British Gas.
“It’s like a Coke and Pepsi situation,” Unger said. “It’s not good.”
But the meet is on, and USA Swimming officials see it as the first in a series of events that can showcase the sport and its best athletes in non-Olympic years; they hope to schedule a similar event next year in the pool that will be used during the 2012 Summer Games in London. As for the suits, swimmers are free to wear 2010 suits if they wish; Phelps has already said he will start wearing a waist-to-knee “jammer” in November.
“It’s been worth all the effort,” said USA Swimming Chief Executive Officer Chuck Wielgus. “We think it will be a really exciting competition, and it will also be a great opportunity to promote the sport.”
Tags: Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte
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