The article details muscle ability versus what technology has to offer.
From Science News:
Swimming may now be similarly a victim of its own rocket science. After the 2004 Olympics, Speedo teamed with NASA engineers to design a space-age swimsuit. The result was the LZR Racer, which Michael Phelps unveiled in 2008, just before donning one of the new suits into Olympic stardom. In fact, the Beijing Games, which marked the international debut of the suits, saw nearly every world record taken by swimmers in LZR Racers. The ultra-lightweight material — the suit is about half polyurethane — not only reduces drag, but also compresses the body to keep a swimmer in an optimal position during the race.
The new suit set off an arms race in swimsuit technology, with even faster designs made possible through better body compression and increased buoyancy (from trapped air). Biedermann beat Phelps wearing a suit that was entirely polyurethane. Swimming’s governing body, FINA, has said it plans to ban the suits in 2010, but has not announced what, if anything, will happen to records set during the polyurethane spree.
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4 comments:
Every sport limits technology. Ski racing limits ski length, side cut and even the clothing racers wear. Boats in rowing, kayak and canoe racing are strictly defined. Bobsleds are specifically defined. The UCI has very, very definitive definition of what, exactly, constitutes a racing bicycle.
FYI, this isn't the first time that swimming has had to deal with a technological advance: When anti-turbulence lane lines came first where introduced, it became common practice to separate the lanes with two ropes, not one. In fact, at one NCAA Div 1 Championship, there were double lane lines AND the swimmers spaced across the pool with empty lanes between every 2nd swimmer! (8 swimmers in a 10 lane pool.)
FINA stopped the practice because it a.) Limited the number of pools available for big meets. and b.) At the time, those lane lines were stupid expensive and the cost was prohibitive.
I remember, too, Joe Bottom tapering for a meet in Vancouver, Canada because, at the time, the Vancouver Aquatic Center was a salt water pool and he wanted a shot at Spitz's 100 'fly record. He chose that meet, that year (I think it was 1977.) because the next year FINA wasn't going to recognize records set in salt water pools.
There's never been - in our sport - a technological revolution as profound as the suits (Goggles included, in my opinion.) and we - all of us, the whole sport - did a crap job dealing with ramifications. We're still stumbling, in my opinion.
Tech suits challenged the integrity of the sport. They conferred advantage, unequally, on the athletes. Their impact had to be limitted(sic), either by strictly defining what they could be or by banning them. Something had to happen or the sport was going to turn into an endless round of technological inovation, where fast suits overshadowed fast swimmers.
I disagree. I think tech suits put swimming on the national radar!
USA Swimming had it's largest jump in membership ever.
Same with the rest of the world
The jump in membership had nothing to do with suits and everything to do with Michael Phelps and the Olympics. A jump in membership happens every 4 years, like clockwork. This year's - 2009's - jump is more profound because of Phelps.
You're going to see a drop off in the next couple years 'cos swimming is hard work. You'll see a spike again, after the next Olympics and, if the Phelps effect is around in 2012, that'll add to it.
It's never one thing, Ted. It was Dara Torres, Jason Lezak in the 4x100, Ricky Berens an Alissa Flippi's suit failures that made Photos of the day at the Huffington Post and both were filed under celebrity skin.
The comment section went mad! Swimming swimsuits were on everybody's radar from Playboy to
If Phelps was the sole reason USA swimming surged, then how come LEN grew just as much, how come Dick Ebersol told his producer during trials to put swimming on every night, even those nights Phelps wasn't swimming.
Why did French swimming grow, the ASA in the UK, all across Asia too?
Suits, Phelps, WRs up for grabs made 2008.2009 a wonderful bubble for simming.
just my opinion
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