Will your speedsuit be outlawed in February or March? - Our national sport governing bodies hope so!

I called TYR and spoke with a PR person regarding the release of the Tracer Rise scheduled for February. While I was on the phone I realized that if Swimming Australia Ltd, USA Swimming, and all of the other anti-speedsuit governing bodies have their way, speedsuits like the Speedo LZR, TYR Tracer Rise, the blueseventy Nero, and many others could be summarily outlawed?

I was told that TYR will move forward with the Tracer Rise; that TYR is sending three representatives to the FINA meeting this February. This person also mentioned that they are anxiously awaiting the "scientific inquiry" from an unnamed university that will submit recommendations and/or suit test guidelines to FINA in March 2009.

So much for transparency with FINA science, huh? Why is the unnamed University kept a secret?

From USA Today:

..." FINA has commissioned research from a university it has not identified to examine the thickness of new suits and design a scientific test that will determine whether they are "credible" within the sport.

Any change in FINA rules could be in place for the 2009 World Championships in Rome from July 18-Aug. 2. ..."

[Link]

What severely bothers me about this whole process is not just the lack of transparency but rather that the swimmer at large who summarily allows these governing bodies to make vast sums of money are not involved here. It bothers me that women have not been invited to the table as well. All we have been hearing from the press is quotes from the same male coaches presenting the same phrases and talking points that the governing bodies are pushing and it smells of manufactured consent.

As for the public at large, it is demonstrable that swimming is on the radar. Speedsuits are so intriguing to the public that at Macy's in New York, City, the LZR was displayed proudly in their window to attract customers.

From the SF Gate:

For a while, the Macy's store in Union Square devoted a display window to the LZR, although the suits bagged loosely around the waif-like mannequins, making a poor fashion statement and distorting the main benefit of Speedo's innovation.

[Link]

What pleases me about speedsuits it not only are they a heck of a lot of fun; (ask any Masters Swimmer), they are allowing a level playing field in sprint events. We are seeing large framed men like Matt Greevers, Alain Bernard, winning and setting records. We are seeing smaller framed men like Eamon Sullivan, Garret Weber Gale, setting records as well.

I see fairness and world record bonuses actually making swimming more profitable for the swimmer at large who has no say in whether the sport shuns speedsuits or embraces them.

I also see swim suit companies sponsoring swimming events more so than ever before. It is just a shame that a small group of late-middle-aged men are the only ones that get to decide rather than the swimmers who pay their salaries. I see glowing results enhancing swimming yet no matter how hard these coaches and NGBs "talk story;" (As the Hawaiians say), stating that the sport is in danger, I am not seeing any of that nonsesne.

Frenchman Leveaux breaks 50 SCM butterfly record in a 22.29

France is becoming a swiming nation of brute force sprinters: Leveaux, Bernard, Gilot et al. The 'French Coach' sent me a link to the 'Championnats de France en petit bassin - ANGERS.' [Link]

So, talk about some inspiring swims to get me 'amped up' for Short Course Meters: Frenchman Amaury Leveaux breaks the 50 SCM butterfly record in a 22.29. [Link]

UPDATE: Here is a recap from Lane 9 News: [Link]

Craig Lord writes an article for the 'Times Online' regarding 'Adidas' threatening to leave the swimsuit market.

Update, I jumped on the Craig to hard but to his credit the article has been amended.

Congratulations to Craig Lord! but his over-simplification of the TYR versus USA Swimming lawsuit is simply biased.

He writes: "...TYR, which spent three years and several million dollars developing its Tracer Rise suit, filed an antitrust lawsuit in California in May, accusing Speedo, USA Swimming and its national team head coach Mark Schubert (who said in support of the LZR that swimmers had a “black-and-white decision: the money or the medal”) of conspiring to block competition...." [Link]

He does not mention that Stu Isaac*, the director of marketing for Speedo, has confirmed that Schubert is paid to endorse Speedo. Hence the legal challenge, in my opinion, is legitimate amog other evidence not mentioned int he article. [*reference: June 28th, In the New York Times Blog: RINGS 2008 Beijing Olympics and Paralympics, Karen Crouse]

FINA will meet in February with sales representatives and swim industry leaders to discuss a solution out of this speedsuit mess. I am sure they will "split the baby" and walk a fine line between the swimsuit business and national governing bodies.

Now that Nike has left the speedsuit market and Adidas is threatening, there is a potential to see the swimmers themselves hurt the most since fewer swimsuits means fewer sponsors and what sponsors are left will have no incentive to pay more.

FINA has a lot of political work to do in February: Adidas has to be pacified, Nike has to be addressed and I hope they send a rep. Then, national governing bodies have to be convinced to allow speedsuit makers a market to sell to or there will be less incentives, or even manufacturers left to sponsor both athletes and meets.

The 'FINA/Arena World Cup' is filling my mailbox with WR alerts! - Here is a link to some video!

VIDEO: Peter Marshall swims two world records

VIDEO: Watch day 2 from Stockholm

VDEO: Marshall's golden day in Stockholm


Also, Therese Alshammar has really done well. I have been rooting for her every since her blue eyes did me in! From Universal Sports: "... In the final event of the day, Swede Therese Alshammar delighted the home crowd by setting a world record in the women's 50m butterfly. Her time of 25.31 bested the old mark of 25.32 set by Australian Felicity Galvez last April. It was the fourth world record to fall at the two-day meet. ..."

Oh, Kim F. sent me a note that the world record in the backstroke was set in a TYR Tracer Rise. Berlin is going to be the final stop and it is going to totally rage! You can watch it for free at Universal Sports: [Link]

Is this the material that the 'TYR Tracer Light' and 'Tracer Rise' are made from?

It's called Nano-Tex and above is a demonstration of an attempt to stain the material with coffee. The liquid just beads up and refuses to saturate.

I saw a demo of the Tracer Light and 'Rise suits do the same thing. However, I let a pool of water remain on the material and came back 40-minutes later and the suit was still dry. I also remember words like nanotechnology being bantered about but I was to blown away by watching the water bounce around the suit like a mercury. It's my belief the Tracer may be made of this material.

Here is a link to the post where I spoke of my experience with the Tracer products: [Link]

Here is a link to the Nano-Tex website: [Link]

Pamela Barone, NBC Olympics Swim Producer "test drives" a 'TYR Tracer Rise'

Pamela Barone , "Swim Ninja" for NBC Olympics goes for swim in the TYR Tracer Rise. These are her thoughts: "...but even though it felt like my legs were floating, they weren't. They were just higher on the water. There's that muscle-contouring seaming at work, I thought.

I was told that the seams and the different fabrics are arranged in such a way to force you to have better body position. I still don't really understand how, but I now believe that it's true.

And the fabric really is water-repellent. Underwater, the suit appears to glow, because of tiny air bubbles that gather on the surface. When you get out, the water beads right off the suit, and it never feels wet. ..." [Link]

Here is a link to the NBC Olympics Pamela Barone TYR Tracer Rise "test drive" gallery. Be sure to scroll down and see other fantastic galleries of Olympic swimmers: [Link]

TYR Athletes talk about the new 'Tracer Light'

One of the athletes is Erik Vendt who recently decided to go Speedo perhaps even before he had a chance to race in the Tracer Rise? Currently he and Larsen Jensen are not sponsored as a result of their decisions to wear Speedo.

I sincerely wonder if their decisions to bail on TYR was a result of mass hysteria in the press regarding the LZR's "magic" or that the Speedo LZR is technologically rigged? I should go look at his times post TYR and LZR and compare them.

Amaury Leveaux (switches suits and) just misses Eamon Sullivan's 50m free world record by .1 of a second!

From Lane 9 News: "... Leveaux shocked the world as he finished just .1 seconds off Eamon Sullivan's world record time of 21.28 with a 21.38 during finals to usurp Alain Bernard's title as the Fastest Man in Europe. Leveaux's effort smashed Bernard's continental and national record of 21.50 set last month, which was the fastest ever at the time. Bernard, meanwhile, placed second in 21.69, while Fred Bousquet missed an Olympic spot with a time of 21.72. ..." [Link]

From the TYR website: "... At the French Olympic Trials Amaury Leveaux broke the European National Record in the 50m Freestyle and recorded the 2nd Fastest Time in History wearing TYR's latest generation swimsuit technology Tracer Rise. Amaury clocked in an astonishing fast time of 21.38, .1 shy of the World Record. ...

Amaury Leveaux is the first and only swimmer in history to swim under 22 seconds in the 50m Freestyle (LC) and swim under 1:47 in the 200m Freestyle (LC). Wearing TYR Tracer Rise, Amaury recorded his fast speed of 1:46:54 in the 200m Freestyle (4-21-08) and 21.38 in the 50m Freestyle (4-26-08) at the 2008 French Olympic Trials. ..."[Link]

Leveaux switched suit brands deciding to race in a TYR Tracer Rise rather than an Arena Powerskin R-Evolution. TYR just sent me this and boy is my face red: "...I read your blog today and I wanted to provide clarification that Amaury Leveaux has worn the TYR Tracer Rise for the entire French Olympic Trials including when he made his record swims in the 50m Freestyle and 200m Freestyle. Our team is on deck, so I am confident in this fact. Amaury Leveaux is a TYR sponsored athlete and has been for many years. ..."

Are these reduced times the result of "tech doping" or "placebo doping?" I wish Mythbusters would do a show on it.

"Tracer Rise" details

Here is a link to media PDF from the TYR site with info regarding the suit: [Link]

If you are in hurry, this press release from the EarthTimes had this to say: "...TYR is the second-largest performance swimwear company in North America and has a brand presence in more than 80 countries. Over the last decade, TYR has pioneered technical swimsuit developments through research at International Center for Aquatic Research (ICAR, U.S. Olympic Training Center), the University of Buffalo's Center for Research and Development in Special Environments (CRESE) and conducted fabric validation testing by Bureau Veritas, an independent product performance agency. TYR was the first company to decompose the components of overall total drag in racing swimsuits into three elements: form drag, pressure drag and wave drag.

Tracer Rise utilizes Rapid Boundary Technology, the fusion of a non-permeable, polyurethane micro-coating to a proprietary lightweight water repellent woven fabric assisting the swimmer in a higher body position in the water and drag reduction.

This latest TYR technical swimsuit offers muscle contour seaming, designed to limit muscle undulation and maximize oxygen efficiency to the swimmer's core muscles. Hydrophobic properties provide maximum water repellency to eliminate absorption and restrict air trapping during high velocity strokes. Constructed from the strongest micro-fiber available for performance swimsuits, Tracer Rise offers athletic performance benefits to the competitor by providing high tensile strength flat seams that aid compression and muscle contouring essential for streamlining the swimmer's body through the water. ..." [Link]