Britta Stefen is in my estimation Germany's most exciting swimmer!

Swim profile by WorldSport.TV

Michael Phelps keeps his word - Speedo now needs speedsuits more than ever!

Note to Michael Phelps: I respect you more now than I ever have for you are the greatest pro-swimmer ever. You the greatest not because you lost today, but that you kept your word despite the consequences. Both your moral and ethical integrity were more important than a win and that is commendable. You will own that record once again!

Mr. Paul Biedermann and Ms. Britta Steffen, thank you! You just saved the speedsuit.

From the Baltimore Sun:

Shockingly, it was Olympic swim star Michael Phelps who was left in Biedermann's powerful wake today at the World Championships at the Foro Italico sports complex. Biedermann, of Germany, not only beat Phelps in a convincing manner, but he took away Phelps' world record in the 200-meter freestyle.

Biedermann went 1 minute 42 seconds, and Phelps was second in 1:43.22. Last summer, Phelps won this race in a world-record 1:42.96 at the Olympics in Beijing and Biedermann was sixth in 1:46.

[Link]

Britta Steffen set her world in the 100 free wearing an Adidas Hydrofoil; Paul Biedermann beat our very best, Michael Phelps, wearing an Adidas as well. Dara Torres is now wearing an Adidas and now records are falling further.

Speedo will now be forced to lobby hard to get speedsuits legal again because if speedsuits are indeed outlawed, Speedo may never hold another world record for at least a generation. That's right, 30-years!

How ironic that Speedo will now be the ally of those that want the suits like myself.

It's official: Libby Trickett thinks the LZR SUCKS!

Libby Trickett did not wear the LZR despite promises to do so - She wore an X-Glide, From Swimming World:

The women's 400 free relay started with a preview to the women's 100 free final where Libby Trickett faced off against Britta Steffen. Trickett wore a high-tech suit (despite being vocal about her wanting to swim in a LZR) to not disappoint the team. 52.22 was the time clocked by Steffen, which was a lead off, new world record, and also now the fastest split in history (again, this is a lead off). Coupled with a 52.37 surprising split by Daniela Schrieber, Germany took silver ahead of the Australians and the Americans.

[Link]

From the Sydney Morning Herald:

Trickett said her coach Grant Stoelwinder convinced her not to let teammates down and wear a new generation suit, but insists she will be loyal when it comes to her individual races even if it costs her a medal.

"I am very much a loyal Speedo supporter and I am still a contracted Speedo athlete," said Trickett.

"Sometimes you have to do things you may not necessarily want to, to try and do the best job for the team that you possibly can and I was greatly encouraged to do that.

... "It was a very, very difficult decision, and I hope Speedo understands because I'm just trying to do my bit in supporting the team as best I can. ..."

[Link]

And supporting the team meant not wearing an ineffectual swimsuit!

Libby, I think you did it for yourself and not the "team." I am impressed by your coach for 'falling on his sword" and taking the blame for your decision but let's see what you wear in the individual events.

Ultimately, you wore the best suit and the LZR was not it for it ranked well below the Hydrofoil, X-Glide, Jaked 01, blueseventy, The TYR A7 and many others.

I am going to have a measured response soon regarding the new FINA rule that Speedo surrogates "gamed" into our sport and I promise my response will have nothing to do with torches and pitch forks!

The photo above comes from an the Courier Mail and the author actually writes this with a straight face:

"... IT was Libby Trickett's loyalty to her country that broke her commitment to her long-term sponsor Speedo on the opening night of the world championships in Rome. ..."

[Link]

Nicole Jeffrey use to be my favorite swim coverage writer; however, that has changed. Both her articles and Craig Lord's hourly rants regarding the "suit crisis" were simply the fine art of manufacturing consent so as to ban them. Subsequently, they literally "stunk up the place."

So, they both get the SCAQ Blog Death Penalty: I will never link to Nicole Jeffrey nor reference Craig Lord ever again till they apologize for their editorials disguised as journalism so as to promote their "Amish values" in regards to swimsuit technology.

Link regarding the Amish points of views regarding technology and family here at About.com: [Link]

Maly sends us news that Britta Steffen set a new WR in the 100-LCM Free

I had criticized Britta Steffen's comment regarding the suit she wore at German Nationals where she stated: "this material can destroy the sport of swimming." I countered with a comment that she only swam .42 seconds off her personal best and only .03 faster than the former WR held by Libby Trickett in the event.

Her world record of early last week was a 52.85 lowering the standard to a 52.82

Maly sent us news that Britta set another WR in the 100-meter-free in a time of 52.56: split 25.30- 27.26. Hence, the suit she wore, the Arena Hydroplane, may had reduce as much as .71 seconds off her personal best time in Beijing 53.12. (Read as possible and not definitive.)

From The Straits Times [Link]

I will say that this is a significant drop!

Dawn Fraiser went form a 1:02 to a 58.9 in her swimming career

Shane Gould went from a 59.9 to a 58.5

Kornelia Ender from East Germany during the 1970's droped her WR times by more than 3-seconds and her teammates dropped another second after that but the conditions are more than just suspicious.

However, with that said, the new suits are not dropping times that significantly.

If you look at Jenny Thompson's record in 1992 where the materials for suits were lycra and polyester, her WR time was a 54.48 Now moving forward to From Inge de Bruijin to Britta Steffen in 2006 the WR dropped from 53.80 to 53.30 or a full .50 seconds in a six six years.

When the suits appear in March 08, the times drop a total of .71 - I really don't think that a .71 drop is destroying the sport of swimming when you look at the girls who are setting these records.

How is this for a scary headline: "Germans smell Olympic disaster because of new Speedo swimsuits"

From The Canadian Press: "... The German swim federation has to seriously consider it, otherwise we will sink completely into mediocrity," Thomas Rupprath, one of Germany's top swimmers, said Saturday.

Rupprath lost his 50-metre backstroke world record two weeks ago to Liam Tancock, who swam in a Speedo. If you listen to U.S. head coach Mark Schubert, an outspoken supporter, that just shows every record could fall at the Beijing Games due to the suit. ..."

Britta Stefen countered: "...I swim in Adidas and set my world record in the 100-metre freestyle in it two years ago," said Britta Steffen said. "With all this discussion, people shouldn't forget the suit doesn't swim alone. Inside is a person that has a good or bad day, and trained well or badly." [Link]Here is my suggestion to the German team, Ask Speedo for a handful of LZRs, TYR for some Tracer Lights, and even Nike for some Hydras. Race three events with each suit in an inter-squad scrimmage. Compare times and then make a sound decision as to what path you will take.

I suspect the suit that fits that particular person the best will produce the faster times for that unique individual.