The Blogosphere Reacts To USMS Swim Suit Rules

The other day I posted the news about the emergency new swim suit rules for US Masters Swimming LINK.  After the initial news various swimmers with blogs and on the USMS Forums commented about the new rules.  Here are just a few of the more entertaining posts and comments:

1.  The Wobbly Block - wobblyblock.com

The issue of suits is a controversial one at all levels of the sport, with some masters swimmers likely to be disappointed that they will no longer be able to benefit from the widely reported performance-enhancing qualities of state of the art suits. The ability of full-body suits to ‘hold things in’ will also be lost.

‘I am really disappointed,’ one masters swimmer told The Wobbly Block. ‘Without my suit I’m going to have to train really hard to set a new personal best. It’s a bit of a disaster.’

Note the wobblyblock is an attempted humor website about the world of swimming.  It's worth bookmarking or adding it into your rss reader. As for "holding things in" that is a valid concern / issue for us older swimmers.  As we get older various parts of our bodies begin to drop which causes drag and other issues in swimming.  I am not saying we should have special floating speed suits holding our fat and gravity attacked body parts all held together with mini blimps that hold us in place but a suit that would hold thing in place is a good thing.  As for really having to train I'll direct you to this great little post at the USMS Forum.

2. What is the difference for you? - usms.org

This is an interesting un-scientific look at the effects of the short term of the speed suits in swimming.  Andre enlisted other swimmers to post swim times with and without the so called speed tech suits.  Now I didn't, haven't and won't post my comparison times but let's just say it's a mix bag.  I've had some personal bests and some okay times in my speed suit.  But it is an interesting study for people to do.  Some people may be shocked that maybe those suits really weren't so magical!

3.  So In A Nutshell - QUAC Duck Blog

The graphic you see to the side is from the QUAC blog.  Funny and easy to understand!

4. SwimYear2010 - Swimmers Year Blog

Let's play devil's advocate and look at this issue from a different view for a change.  Many bloggers/forum posters have commented about FINA being in one sponsorshps backpocket but in a different spin SwimYear2010 comments:

Why is USMS making the exception for the 2010 short course yards season? I can speculate that there is some money behind this decision. I reason this because of the situation that USMS got into with BlueSeventy, and also because of the elitist attitude of American Swimming, considering that short course yards is not recognized by FINA. I was just about to regain my faith in the swimming community but USMS seems to have gone astray for the moment.

Now I think these comments are way off mark.  SCY Season has already started and to change swim suit rules mid-season could have been a disaster.  I'd like USMS to tell FINA to go fuck a tree and make our own rules but alas that wont happen. 

5.  Off The Deck - Rebecca The Swim Evangelist

Now I read her blog on a regular basis and enjoy her posts.  With that said she comes out with a few points that I'd like to comment on:

I don’t like the extreme level of the “buy yourself some speed” promise of the neoprene suits. It completely negates hard work, finding your own edge, and the ultimate satisfaction of seeing your times improve based on effort, not equipment.

Yes lots of records were broken but that happens all the time.  On the other side did the advent of goggles make swimming faster?  How about lane lines?  Pools with deep gutters?  Saline vs salt water vs chlorine pools?  With carbon lightweight goggles coming to market will that make a swimmer faster?  Remember when you didn't do butterfly kicks underwater.  The sport and equipment has changed over time.  Get over it!

I’m not crazy about the potential mixed-message kids would recieve if FINA had one rule and USMS had another. Meaning, “you need to work hard and follow rules as a kid, but then all that doesn’t matter once you’re an adult.”

I don't have my handy dandy rule book handy but there are many different rules between USA Swimming for the kids and USMS for us adults.  It's like comparing apples to zebras.

6.  RobAquatics - robaquatics.com

Simply put and illustrated by the picture -

YES!!! Tech Suits are Legal in USMS Until May 31st 2010 for SCY!

7.  SCAQ Blog - Tin Medal Tony

Tony always is worth going to for an opinion on this topic.  This is one great lil' Tony nugget:

At the height of the tech suit boom the USMS had it's biggest year ever bragging in a press release that it's membership tally hit 50k members. I suspect the USMS is looking froward by sending up a trial balloon to see if they can remain for SCY indefinitely...

Sounds like a good idea.  But do I want to buy one suit for just a few swim meets of SCY Season?  Don't know if it's that great of an idea.

Well that is just a few of the various views on this weeks decision from USMS.  I am sure I missed many other posts so feel free to comment below.  This is one issue that is not going to go away anytime soon.

Comments

[Wendy]

Joel, I have to say I really wish it would go away! ;-)