Tuesday, September 30, 2008

'Swimming World' - "College Swim Coaches Say Extend the Ban on New High-Tech Suits"


From Swimming World: "...ATLANTA, Georgia, September 30. BUCKING the trend by most of swimming's governing bodies to accept the new high-tech swim suits, the board of directors of the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) voted to oppose the NCAA's recent decision not to extend the moratorium it had imposed on the use of these suits in collegiate competition. ..." [Link]

Sheesh! If the CSCAA got their way, why should a company like TYR or Speedo make a swim speedsuit if only a finite crowd is allowed to buy one? Why would a manufacturer bother if only masters swimmers and those elite swimmers who are over 12-years-of-age, are not and in college, and are at the elite level in an international competition are the only people allowed to wear one?

3 comments:

Scott said...

I think the question you should be asking is why do we need these next generation speed suits?

Tony Austin said...

So why do we need them? we don't!

Speedsuits are tech-dope but if speedsuits are allowed for some demographic segments and not another, it seems unfair.

I think swimming would have gotten bigger ratings if the girls wore two-piece suits and the men wore briefs, but to make it selective in the US makes unlevel playing field.

Glenn said...

Simply put, we can't go back. I think this redirection of the decision is simply financial for most institutions, and they'll eventually allow it. The cat is out, and there's nothing we can do about it.

While I agree with you guys, I wish they wouldn't have ever shown up in the first place, I'm sure people thought the same thing when comparing the first paper suits to the old baggy nylon ones in the 60's. The same can be said about the first goggles.

Who knows what's next, but it's one of the reasons I'm swimming again. I'm thinking of making a comeback for 2016 Olympics. The way things are going, I'll just have to strap a motor to my butt and streamline. I'll obviously be more buoyant that the current crop of swimmers, so I figure I'll have a good shot at beating them.

I've given up trying to analyze what the NGBs and FINA decide. I just try to look at what's going on, and figure out how to teach based on the trends. If nothing else, it's not getting any more boring.