'Arena' captures the real Loch Ness Monster in this ad

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Incoming FINA President rumored to favort a return to briefs!

From USA Today: Incoming FINA President rumored to favor briefs over speedsuits:

But FINA doesn't appear ready to budge.

"A swimsuit is not a device. A swimsuit is equipment," FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu told The AP. "They can propose whatever they want, we are in a democratic world, but a device is clearly defined in the rules."

But with the rules changing from month to month, manufacturers have been left guessing.

"I still don't know what rules to use starting in September. If the rules change for January, we need four months of time for redesigns," Arena's Musciacchio said.

Making matters more complicated is that Julio Maglione of Uruguay will take over from Mustapha Larfaoui as FINA's president on Friday.

Maglione is rumored to favor a return to briefs.

"I'm hope it's more than a rumor," Zimmer said. "The new president is going to have to clean house. That's really the only way that this can happen. And I don't just say that for us. We know that Arena is very upset, Speedo has got to be really upset about what's happening, just because we've all invested a lot of money.

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In my opinion, it's not going to happen for if FINA does not approve speedsuits, the suit companies will find someone, or create a sports governing body that will.

It was Fred Bousquet that set the WR in the 50 LCM Free not the 'Jaked!'

Fina approved the Jaked swimsuit just like they did the Speedo LZR, the Tracer Rise, and the blueseventy Nero. The Jaked appeared in Beijing but it took an incredibly talented swimmer to break that 50 Free WR this week and Fred Bousquet was that person not his suit.

Note that the upper tier swimmers who are criticizing rubberized suits in the press are seemingly sponsored by suit manaufacturers not producing a rubberized suit.

From the Brisbane Times:

The suit wars have led to the atmosphere on the pool deck at the French national titles becoming poisonous with even Bernard's coach Denis Auguin lamenting the situation.

"I read that (Frenchman) Amaury Leveaux had a suit psychosis panic attack with all the suits before the 100 final with all of these guys wearing all these suits ... it shouldn't be that," Sullivan told AAP.

"Fair enough people get nervous but it should not be because of what someone is wearing.

"I think it is pretty ridiculous that it has got to this point."

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Oh, by the way, Bernard is sponsored by Arena.

Leveaux "owns" Bernard twice this past weekend!

I noticed over at Swim News that Amaury Leveaux beat Alain Bernard twice:

Amaury Leveaux, Olympic silver medalist and one of the most improved swimmers in the world in 2008, got in a second victory over Olympic 100m free champion Alain Bernard at the Strasbourg International in France: the gap yesterday over 100m was 0.07sec, the gap tonight over 50m was 0.08sec, 22.12 to 22.20.

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I think Amaury Leveaux is an amazing athlete who deserves all of the success he has earned. However, I noticed that since Bernard signed with Arena, I don't see him winning. Hence, I think Amauary Leveaux has a better suit and that suit may be the new TYR Titan, I am not sure? (I will go ask.)

Larsen Jenson and Erik Vendt are wearing the 'Speedo LZR' but they are not signed with Speedo

From the L.A. Times today: "... [Erik Vendt] is wearing the suit he feels is the fastest in the world, not because there is any deal pending," said Evan Morgenstein, Vendt's agent. "I'm hoping to have something for him but there's no guarantee."

"... Stu Isaac of Speedo, however, said talks are ongoing with Vendt and Jensen. ..."

They also bring up Cullen Jones who says he is sticking with Nike and makes it clear that he appreciates them as well. [Link]

I have a feeling that some time after this Olympic year, the Speedo LZR is going to be deemed illegal just like the TYR Aquashift was. In my opinion FINA is now being confronted with the fact that they have seriously alienated a myriad of companies over their meek definition of the word fabric. (Speedo, I believe, has mixed or layered in urethane within their fabric. Hence, is it fabric anymore? Is the neoprene on the blueseventy fabric? I don't know?

There is a lot of FINA sponsorship dollars involved here and those alienated companies might begin to think that the triathlons and triathletes might be a better investment than swim meets and swim stars. In fact, sports agents may suffer over this too. If TYR isn't signing, and NIKE isn't signing, then there goes their "bidding wars."

I think FINA will soon begin to feel their pain in the form of fewer sponsored meets and lots of corporate acrimony for the investment dollars they have been summarily lost will not be taken lightly.

Never, ever, sign a contract that requires you use blood instead of ink. Laure Manadou just learned that.

Laure Manaudou signed in blood on the dotted line without the advice of a lawyer or her father and now rumors in and around the 'blogosphere' state that Satan's holding company will be auctioning off fragments her immortal soul on eBay. '0_o'

Actually, I made that up; but you knew that. However, are the following allegations below made by Laure Manaudou's father made up as well? From Swim News:

"...The contract, said Jean-Luc [Manaudou], held that Manaudou would pay for promotional activities should she wish to develop her Arena International collection. It also holds that the swimmer would forfeit up to 75 per cent of the value of the deal if she does not win in Beijing. ..." [Link]

I started thinking about the 'Kate Ziegler's effect' when I read that last clause. Keep in mind that taxes are 48.9% in France. If Laure lost, she would only get to keep 12% or her estimated 2 million Euros per year. Granted you can buy plenty of soup and Pinot Noir with 250k Euros, but you won't be able to retire off your earnings.

Swim News has another article that discusses, Paolo Penso's, La Presse team's reaction which is translated by Swim News: " ...LaPresse then poses a series of questions, including]: Who has an interest in the rights to images of Laure Manaudou? Who is fearful of losing predicted millions by losing control over the champion? Who is preventing the athlete from living autonomously and independently? Who are the managers set to earn 20 to 25 per cent of [Manaudou's earnings]? [Link]

So, what do we have? La Presse originally said they "fired" Laure Manaudou for not wanting to work hard enough. Laure's group said, it was a bad contract. La Presse wonders aloud with rhetorical questions as to who she is accusing but they later site that that they are entitled to compensation.

Hence, there are three sides to this story: Laure's side; La Presse's side; and the truth. (I think the 3-sides quote comes from a song Don Henley wrote?)

The beautiful photo in the above right was taken from guyomedw's photostream at Flickr.com. He can be contacted at: guyomedw[at]mac.com