Craig Lord at Swim News states that it only cost $1,500 US to submit a suit to 'FINA' for approval!

Craig Lord of Swim News goes "Postal" on FINA which suggest to me that Mr. Lord believes that speedsuits will NOT be outlawed next month or the month thereafter.

Mr. Lord has aggressively sided with several National Governing Bodies who would like to see "old school" suits or suits that resemble those from the 1970's mandated as the de facto attire.

"Progressives," like the USMS, who has recently entered into a sponsorship deal blueseventy would like to see swimming move forward.

Anyway, The most amusing snippet I found in the article was that FINA only charges $1,500 for their suit approval process.

"... Mr Marculescu, [FINA Executive Director] who is keen to have decisions on suits based on science, told SwimNews that the guidelines "are still in place and will be updated during this year of 2009". Hope lives in the word "updated". Meantime, 30 new suit approvals equals 30 x US $1,500 for FINA. Not a fortune but the cost of that money could be much higher."

"..."

"... So, If FINA is not wedded to the idea of a moratorium, the very least it should do in the face of the risk presented above is to send every single one of the latest suits sent for approval straight to an independent laboratory with a note stating: given patents that exist in this world, is there any way that this garment could be used as a platform for technology that could interact with the central nervous system of the human body? There are other questions too – about angle buoyancy, about flotation tools, about fabrics that are not fabrics at all. About where to draw a line that will allow suit makers to innovate without creating suits that cross the line from maximising to enhancing performance. ..."

[Link]

Libby Trickett has changed her stroke and she will debut next weekend!

I love it when a swimmer makes a declaration about tweaks or changes to their stroke for you can then compare, measure, and learn form their experimentation.

From the Sydney Morning Herald:

"Any differences? You might have to wait and see. There's been a few little changes to my starts and to my stroke and things like that, so it will be good to test those things out under a race situation. And it will be good to get a gauge of where I am at in terms of fitness and strength and endurance."

Selections trials for the Rome world titles will be held in Sydney in March, with Trickett revealing she will swim the 50 and 100 metres freestyle - the two events in which she is the world record holder - and the 50m and 100m butterfly, in which she won her individual gold medal in China.

[Link]

I love that photo above, it is so honest and exuberant.

Eamon Sullivan Calls for a ban on all Chloroprene suits - Especially the ones that compete with his 'Speedo LZR'

In my opinion he is calling out the blueseventy Nero in a backhanded way. It's like all these athletes Craig Lord writes about who oppose Chloroprene were seemingly handed a script to recite like an actor in a 30-second commercial. They never mention the name blueseventy but they mention the material it is made of.

Well, since blueseventy is down with the USMS, Sullivan's words are "fightin' words, pardner!"

I think it has become demonstrable by reading Swim News articles that Mr. Lord enthusiastically deplores Chloroprene suits. Especially the ones that are equal or perhaps faster than the Speedo LZR or Arena's offering.

"... Sullivan said that suits and suit practices that had unfolded over the course of 2008 had "to be stopped". He added: “I’m happy with what I’ve done. The suit (Speedo’s LZR Racer) was ratified by FINA and I wasn’t wearing two or three suits, just the one. What I wore was allowed at the time I broke those records. There obviously is some advantage and there obviously is more advantage if you wear two or three suits, which a lot of people have been doing lately, and I think it’s pretty ridiculous. ..."

[Link]

I think they have a saying for that called, "throwing the baby out with the bath water!" Calling for a suit ban on a suit that underwent the same FINA approval process that his Speedo LZR did is both unfair and absurd.

For Sullivan to speak negatively about Speedo's rival is suspicious to me. I find his take summarily prejudiced and I suspect that his prejudice is due to lots of Speedo money given to him so he will wear their suit.

How about mandating individuals simply wear one suit only when competing?

Southern Pacific Masters Association (SPMA) will hold two swim meets on the same weekend!

SPMA - has a total eight short-course-yards Masters meets coming up in the ensuing months and two of them: The Rose Bowl SCY Meet, and the UC Irvine Masters Meet will be held on the same weekend.

• Rose Bowl Short Course Yards Meet New Meet Added
  Saturday, February 7, 2009
  
  
• UCI Short Course Yeards Meet
  Sunday, February 8, 2009

I am worried that having these two meets on the same weekend will literally divide the participation of the two events with those clubs in the north, SCAQ, UCLA, WH2O swimming at the Rose Bowl while NOVA and the Nadadores swim down in their hometown of Orange County.

I think the turnout at both meets will be anemic and I am hoping for a schedule change.

Above are satellite images of both the Rose Bowl Pools and the UC Irvine pool

For a list of all the great events SPMA has:

[Link]

Geoff Huegill slams speedsuits but is definitely going to wear one!

I am really excited that Geoff Huegill is back in the water, I feel he is a source of inspiration for both overweight, ex-athletes, and obese individuals who don't think they could ever become healthy through exercise and diet. I must say that his transformation is quite a comeback for he has shed over 60-pounds of weight.

Though Huegill has been training hard, he has yet to try on a speedsuit let alone race in one. My suggestion to Huegill is that he start training in a speedsuit to make any modifications to his stroke before race day because this blog wants to see him win. (He is the ultimate masters swimmer so to speak.)

His opinions are couched quite strongly against suits, namely those that use Chloroprene, but I would suggest that he soften them till he wears one. This is what he was quoted as saying in the Canberra Times:

"... "I haven't tried on a suit as of yet but I have seen what all the hype is about. It's out of control," Huegill said yesterday. "My honest opinion is it definitely has to be stopped. There is no doubt about it. The fabrics they are using now are rubber-like fabrics, which make you float and and keep you on top of the water. ..."

[Link]

I have covered Heugill's weight issues and comeback in previous posts here:

[Link]

Federica Pelligrini has a nice website and the intro is definitely not hard to look at!

It is one of the better swimmer websites: the intro has some lovely "cheesecake" shots; one includes the tattoo on her neck; a video page; a results page; a bio; news, and a "yummy" photo gallery.

The site is nice and contains lots of details which are all in English for us lazy, monolingual, Americans!

Oh, she's available too according to the bio! 0_o [Link]

ALain Bernard's turnover in the video below was about 41 strokes on the way back - Jason Lezak took 34 strokes!

I am wondering if a high turnover rate during a long course meter sprint is a good idea? Perhaps in a short course sprint you need the constant acceleration towards the wall after a turn so a high turnover rate works better. Has this subject been discussed anywhere?

The twin Mars Rovers; (Spirit and Opportunity), have been on Mars surface for five years. I am told that students will earn doctorate degrees for years to come based upon the massive amount of data that the probes sent back. I suspect coaches may not earn doctorates from the underwater video of 4x100 free relay but I wonder if stroke design will see further contributions?

"When I got to the 85-metre mark, typically the body shuts down, but I had an extra surge of adrenaline..." - Jason Lezak

Here is an article obviously about Jason Lezak but includes not only his thoughts on the 4x100 relay but how he trains and why.

From the Canadian Jewish News:

“It’s all about the power of the mind. I blocked it out, felt strong and good – it was the Olympic Games,” he said.

“I was breathing to the right side, so every time I took a breath I could see where he was in the water. When I got to the 85-metre mark, typically the body shuts down, but I had an extra surge of adrenaline. I’ve looked at the replays – I did not go faster, but he tightened up and faded, dying like a dog.”

On training he had this to say:

"... Lezak trains using a specific workout plan. “Most people train nine times a week in the pool, but I think they do “garbage yardage,” he said, meaning that with the aim of swimming 6,000 metres, they “throw in a bunch of crap.”

He is a firm believer in quality, not quantity. “You’ve got to make every stroke count,” Lezak said.

It’s not about having a coach poolside to motivate him, either. “I swim because I have goals, not because anyone is telling me,” he said. ..."

[Link]

Jason is currently looking for a sponsor.

This hydrozoa "jellyfish" is immortal - It has found a way to beat death!

I like sea dwelling animals that look like "glass blobjects!" This particular creature looks like a brain with "sad eyes" and a spinal column has been installed within a jellyfish.

Found originally at NotCot.org, zmescience.com has the rundown:

"...Turritopsis nutricula is a hydrozoan, and it’s considered by scientists to be the only animal that cheated death. ...

Still, our Turritopsis nutricula (could we call it Joe??) managed to find a way to beat that. What these little folks do is they revert completely to a sexually immature, colonial stage after they reach sexual maturity. They’re even cooler than that. When they’re young they’ve got only several tentacles, but at a mature stage, they get to 80-90 of them. ..."

[Link]

Paging, Glenn Mills! White courtesy telephone please!

Imagine what Glenn mills could do with a rig like this? From NotCot.com:

"...Heading to Vegas tomorrow ~ CES time already! And so far, one of the things i’m most excited about seeing in person is the latest from Liquid Image ~ the ProHD350!!! Seriously, an awesome jet black dive mask that shoots 5.0 megapixel stills and HD video up to 30fps (with audio!)… it even runs on 4 AAA batteries! has 64MB internal, but takes up to a 32GB microSD/SDHC… and has light attachments (both on the sides and/or headlight)!!!

[Link]

Though it's bad grammar; (I should talk, right?), I love the use of multiple exclamation marks in the description. It reminds me of the enthusiasm a 13-year-old kid would have for a new, cool, toy.

Go to the link and look at the other cameras.

I think Glenn Mills could make fine art with this camera!!! ;-)

Does the USOC receive an "immoral amount" of IOC cash? - Peter Ueberroth spanks the guy who suggested just that!

From Boston.com:

"... "An immoral amount," declared IOC member Hein Verbruggen of the Netherlands.

It's pretty simple math," Ueberroth said in his farewell speech at the US Olympic Assembly.

The USOC gets 12.75 percent of the domestic TV fee and 20 percent of the sponsorship cash, which added up to $300 million over the past quadrennium (half of the committee's budget) and will increase to $450 million for the upcoming quad. Still, it's only a fraction of what the Americans fork over to the IOC.

NBC paid nearly $900 million for the Beijing rights (twice as much as the European Broadcasting Union did) and signed on for another $2 billion for the 2010 and 2012 Games even before the sites were chosen. And half of the $866 million from the IOC's 12 global sponsors for the last quad came from US-based companies such as Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and Visa.

"Who pays the bill for the world Olympic movement? Make no mistake about it," Ueberroth said. ..."

[Link]

These figures are amazing. Both the IOC and the USOC are overwhelmingly, stinky, smelly, rich. I think they both should spread the wealth around a little bit more. Maybe throw some more money at the athletes.

The 'Pearl Izumi' store in Lake Tahoe will give SCAQ blog readers mad discounts! - Go there quick!

Lauren is a reader of ours and even leaves comments from time to time. She use to coach the Texas Longhorn Masters program but now she manages a Pearl Izumi store in Lake Tahoe!

Pearl Izumi has products in many sports including cross-country skiing, triathlon, duathlon, and running. Best of all, it's athletic clothing that we all can get a mad discount on because SCAQ blog readers are the cool kids and Lauren is going to hook us up.

So, here are the rules: SCAQ blog readers get 15% off of all marked down merchandise INCLUDING $4.00 shipping to anywhere in the states!

So to prove that you are a SCAQ reader, you have to write or mention the phrase "SCAQ Blog Coupon." Lauren will give you till January 31st to buy, so hurry now.


You can see what is available here: [Link]

Pearl Izumi has been around for a long time. They have sponsored cycling teams such as the 1984 USA Olympic team and many others. So they have 'street cred.'

Here is the note she sent me:

I receive no compensation for this, nor any gifts or favors; just good will. The products are good and I can't let a discount like this go past us. Hope you enjoy.

'FOX Sports' - Ian O'connor names Jason Lezak as his "Sportsman of the Year"

Ian O'Connor wrote a very fun article about Jason Lezak overcoming significant odds to defeat Alain Bernard in the final leg of the 4x100 relay to make Lezak his "Sportsman of the Year."

On the morning of Aug. 11 in Beijing, Phelps was the wailing baby, a relay journeyman named Jason Lezak was the distraught mother and a French terminator named Alain Bernard was the 2-ton car.

This is the story of how my Sportsman of the Year got those four wheels off the ground.

[Link]

I am loving those mixed metaphors but Terminators come from "Austria-Kaleefornia" not France.

Two other aspects of the article that were missed: The press keeps playing up the Alain Bernard remark that "...We will smash them," but that statement was severely lost in translation and portrayed the French as little "Gary Halls.'"

If an American 4x100 free relay team said to the swim press, "we will beat them." An American or a Brit would read that as "our team is going to win," They would not read it as "we are going to mug them" or "we are going to inflict repeated blows."

There is no translation for the word "beat" in French that morphs the word into "defeat" like we do in English. They use the word smash which has the exact same meaning. English is a very colorful language with lots of nuance; there were translation issues here that portrayed the French incorrectly .

The second thing that bothered me is that they showed a photo of the 4x100 Medley relay team rather than the 4x100 free relay team thereby excluding Cullen Jones along with Garret Weber-Gale who both contributed significant swims to the victory.

ESPN on 2009: Phelps has made swimming a viable platform for TV - Chicago leading contender for the Summer games in 2016

Regarding the Chicago Olympics: "...IOC president Jacques Rogge recently told The Chicago Tribune that Obama's election is "very positive'' for the city's bid. President-elect Obama is expected to personally lobby for Chicago, as Tony Blair and Vladimir Putin did to help secure the 2012 Games in London and the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. ..."

Michael Phelps: "...His coach has told reporters the swimmer will begin seriously training again in February and you'll be able to see him competing this summer (possibly at some shorter distances) in the U.S. and world championships -- which, thanks to Phelps, will be televised on NBC. Swimming on national TV in a non-Olympic year? What's next, fantasy swim leagues?..."

[Link]

If quoted correctly FINA has "showed their cards" in advance of the FINA Seedsuit meeting in February!

On December 11th Craig Lord of Swim News wrote an article for the Times Online entitled: Is Time Running Out For Supersuits!

I highlight a quote in bold by an unnamed FINA official regarding his take on speedsuits. Apparently FINA may have decided the fate of a particular brand of speedsuit if this quote is for real:

"... A leaked letter sent to Fina by Marcin Sochacki, the Rocket Science Sports chief executive, has angered many in the sport. He wrote: “If the purists of this sport really want this to be man to man, then everyone should be on the exact same sleep schedule, nutrition plan/products and be set up to compete against others with the exact same hand size, lung capacity, arm and leg length including height, etc.”

A FINA source countered, saying: “How can you call a lung, an arm, a leg, [or] sleep the same thing as a suit that is clearly an artificial aid to performance.”..."

[Link]

Note how this unnamed source didn't add a question mark after his rhetorical question. I don't think it takes a genius to deconstruct their meaning or intent.

I am seeing nothing but biased media towards speedsuits and most notably the blueseventy and Chloroprene suits as a whole. It's as if consent is being manufactured against speedsuits by proxy.

Craig Lord writes at Swim News:

"... Complaints against the [blueseventy], a suit born in the triathlon pool, are also being voiced by rival suit makers. One source told SwimNews: "This is scary, dangerous stuff. The likes of Speedo, adidas, Arena and others have been working on products that support the body’s core strength, that support the athlete. The Blueseventy works in another way. It’s a flotation aid, in our opinion.” ..."

Later in the article Craig Lord prints out a letter sent to FINA by the Ligue Européenne de Natation (LEN - a conglomo governing body for European swimming) which clearly attacks blueseventy:

"...During the World Swimming Cups 2008 series a few World, European and many dozens of national records were broken by athletes who used the NERO COMP “Blueseventy” swimsuit. Our personal experience showed that the personal lifetime best performances in 50m breaststroke can be easily improved by 0,6-1.0 second with the NERO COMP Blueseventy swimsuit. ..."

"... The facts mentioned above as well as opinion on recent situation with swimming suits expressed by many other swimming coaches and swimmers, lead us to the questioning of the legitimacy of the usage of NERO COMP “Blueseventy” swimsuit at official swimming (pool) competitions.

[Link]

The past eight years have made me quite cynical regarding whatever statements come out of a politican's mouth or any political body for that mater and that includes USA Swimming, FINA, LEN and all the others.

I think what LEN is really saying is that suits from Australia, California and Europe who happen to invest and/or sponsor European national teams are fair but suits from Washington State which do not sponsor any European national teams are not fair.

My inference may sound outrageous but I base it upon this observation: There is a European suit company called, Jaked Swimwear, that has created a rubberized suit made out of a polyurethane analog which is patent pending. The suit has no seams whatsoever and one Italian swimmer I spoke with told me the suit is faster than a notable European suit which I won't mention. Also note, Jaked Swimwear, is the "sponsor tecnico Federazione Italiana Nuoto" (Sponsor of the Italian Swimming Federation.)

In the letter LEN spends time attacking the technicalities of the blueseventy Nero approval. I feel they chose to debate a technicality because that is all they can attack. All suits submitted to FINA were approved by FINA.

Ultimately will masters swimmers be denied their suit of choice post February?

The fish above: Won Park of Hawaii, moneyfolding magician extraordinaire, folds the fins to his origami dollar koi.

[Link]

The mighty 'Polar Bear Swims' of 2009

Wow! They know how to party in Southwest Wales, Great Britain! Someone dressed up as a dragon too. From the BBC: "...At Abersoch in Gwynedd, swimmers raised money for the lifeboat station and in Amroth, Pembrokeshire, about 30 dressed as Elvis Presley to take the plunge.

At Saundersfoot, organisers said more than 1,200 swimmers and thousands more spectators turned up for the new year dip.

Ms Ryder-Richardson, who owns a small zoo nearby, was on the beach in style in a zebra printed jeep and launched the race to the sea with the release of a giant firework.... [Link]

The Olympian: "...Polar Bear Plunge participants Gavin and Rachel Estep, Sean Van Ausdal,Jordan Bowen, Matt Sikora along with Jacqueline and Jeff Estep (l-r) take on a barbarian theme for their costuming as they join an estimated 300 other swimmers for the 25th annual event Jan. 1st at Long Lake in Lacey. Steve Bloom/The Olympian. ..." Link to photo gallery: [Link]



Boston.com: "...Hundreds of spectators stood shaking their heads as swimmers raced toward the water at 11 a.m., with the temperature at 13 degrees and winds gusting up to 29 miles per hour, making it feel more like minus-6 degrees. But the exhilarated swimmers called it the perfect way to wash away the past and welcome the New Year. ..." [Link]



New York Times gallery: Coney Island, New York - 2009 [Link]



Dude, put a pair of trunks on that "$1.50" of yours - Naked from Crescent Beach, Cananda:

News 1130: "...Earlier today, the Skinnydipper Recreation Club and Surrey United Naturists hosted the 3rd annual charity swim at the large boulder south of Crescent Beach. Yes, they swam in the 2 degree water, in the nude. Air temperatures were also 2 degrees. One man we talked with as he ran back toward the shore called it 'invigorating'. Many of the nude swimmers maintain it's actually better to go without a swimsuit, because when you get out of the water, the wet swimsuit stays wet and cold, or can freeze to your skin! ..." [Link]



Gotta have ice at Dartmouth or it isn't really considered a "Polar Bear Swim!"Dartmouth.com: "...Teague said several traditional events were well-attended, citing the Human Dogsled Race, which she said had “lots of energy,” as well as the annual Polar Bear Swim. Thursday’s warmer temperatures and the surface thickness of the ice on Occom Pond threatened to derail the Swim, she said, but weather conditions ended up being favorable enough for the event to take place.

According to Teague, around 315-400 people turned up for the event. ..." [Link]





Could not have said it better myself! :-)

Sheena: Swimmer by day, Secret agent at night - She Fights Crime!

I ran into these photos at Flickr.com and they are hilarious! Swimmers are the new comic book heroes!

Oh, she needs a theme song, gotta have a theme song if you are swimmer/secret agent!



These photos were at found in pkripper503's photo set named: Sheena (Set)

Rebecca Adlington has been awarded an 'Order of the British Empire'

Chivarly has ranks and now Rebecca Adlington has joined those ranks and has been awarded with an Order of the British Empire (OBE)

The Order of the British Empire motto is For God and the Empire. It is the most junior of the British orders of chivalry and has more members than any other.

Here are the ranks from Wikipedia:

• Knight Grand Cross (GBE) or Dame Grand Cross (GBE)
• Knight Commander (KBE) or Dame Commander (DBE)
• Commander (CBE)
• Officer (OBE)
• Member (MBE)

Welcome to the "Renaissance" - 2008 was the greatest year for swimming ever!

I read at Live Science that a good mood is as contagious as the flu and that it can effect people up to hundreds of miles away. In the Live Science article they use the "flu" as a metaphor hence the unfortunate "New Age" subtext when the paragraph below is read just as a snippet. From Live Science:

"... A happy infection lasts an average of 12 months, Fowler said; that is, if your neighbor wins the lotto it could give you a mood boost for about a year. And a joy virus can spread to people three degrees removed from the original mood shifter. So someone experiencing bliss makes his friends happier, his friends' neighbors happier and even his friends' neighbors' friends happier.

The ripple of joy continues diffusing over all of society, Fowler theorized, but is undetectable past the third degree of separation "because it is part of a whole sea of different cascades of happiness and unhappiness. ..."

[Link]

The year in the pool was filed with extraordinary and amazing happenings in our sport. We had the obvious subjects such as: Tech suits, Michael Phelps and Dara Torres. We saw Cullen Jones win a gold medal! We witnessed the greatest 4x100 free relay held during the greatest Olympics ever. Every continent had a hero but what has truly filled me with great enthusiasm is that people now are inspired by swimming; even Kobe Bryant is inspired by swimming.

Swimmers are now looked upon as sources of inspiration and lucky enough to wear those first ever "super hero" outfits. Emotions like this have never occurred before in our sport. In fact, it is not our sport anymore, it's everybody's sport now and even televised media is featuring swimming more.

In my neighborhood, I am seeing the Asian community fully endorse and fill up age group programs. I am seeing more Latinos swimming and I am seeing triathletes getting in the pool more. this is global and we were all part of this "mood swell"

It was a great year to be a swimmer!

"Ha Ha, I wasn't rly gonna eat you" - A lemon shark smiles for the camera!

From the Daily Mail: "... This award winning image shows the extraordinary moment when a lemon shark gazed into a lens with an apparent cheeky grin. [Great dental work - TA]

Showing a close-up of a lemon shark's face on the surface at sunset, it was recently selected from more than 20,000 photos as winner of the Oceans division of the international Nature's Best Photography 2008 Windland Smith Rice Awards. [Link]

Craig Lord at 'Swim News' has compiled the mother of all swim lists for 2008!

This is just a tiny sampling of what Craig wrote :

Outstanding Achievement of the Year Award:

Michael Phelps, Bob Bowman, Debbie Phelps, all USA

Male Swimmer of the Year: Phelps (USA)

Coach of the Year - men and overall: Bowman (USA)

Female swimmer of the Year: Rebecca Adlington (GBR)

Coach of the Year - women: Bill Furniss (GBR)

Runners-Up of the Year:

• Male swimmer: Kosuke Kitajima (JPN)
  
• Female swimmer: Britta Steffen (GER)
  

Continental heroes (beyond the above):

• Africa: Kirsty Coventry (ZIM); Oussama Mellouli (TUN)
  
• Asia: Liu Zige (CHN); Park Tae-Hwan (KOR)
  
• Oceania: Stephanie Rice (AUS); Grant Hackett (AUS)
  
• Europe: Federica Pelegrini (ITA); Alain Bernard (FRA)
  
• Americas: Rebecca Soni (USA); Aaron Peirsol (USA)

[Link]

John Payne of 'IX3 Sports' has a succinct and lucid article on speedsuits that is rather refreshing as of late!

I have read the New York Times, the Times Online, Associated Press, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, The Daily Mail, Reuters, The BBC, Sports Illustrated, ESPN and especially the swim media at large with all of the above presenting a biased case against Speedsuits.

John Payne of IX3 Sports cuts through all of that and has a thorough article exploring the pros and cons in a very measured way:

"... The triathlon community is one that embraces technology and radical shifts in technology. That one of the defining characteristics of the species! The swimming community, while embracing technological change in the training world, has not been as quick historically to incorporate it in the competitive arena.

The pace at which the new suit technology has changed the playing field has been astonishing, particularly for the rule makers. Hopefully they can act quickly, but not in haste. ..."

[Link]

I hope I never run into one of these monsters when I am surfing or doing an open water swim!

When you enter the ocean, you certainly become a item on the food chain! This beast is called a Siphonophorae! I still can't find a coherent definition of what that is but apparently it is a group of organisms that form a colony and coexist as one. This is one scary looking monster. We will never find something this crazy in outer space!

Originally found at You Tube

[Link]

Statistic: World record progression in swimming due to the re-engineered speedsuits of today is way over exaggerated by the press!

The graphic above from the Economist magazine clearly illustrates that both swimming and track have had roughly the same world record progression percentages from 1985 to 2008 despite the re-engineering of the modern day swimsuit.

The world record progression form 1957 all the way through to 1972 significantly dwarfs any gains made by speedsuit technology from 1975 to 2008.

For example: The 100 meter free world record dropped from 55-seconds in 1957 to the sub 50-mark in the middle-seventies. That is a 10% improvement despite that swimsuit technology was rather static during that period as compared to today.

A proper correlation would be that speedsuits have not destroyed swimming much like Nike running shoes have not destroyed running since the WR progression between the two sports is symmetrical.

The speedsuit burn rhetoric does not support statistics from the International Olympic Committee. I think this is clear evidence that swimming's national governing bodies are using nothing but emotional arguments within the press during the lead-up to the FINA speedsuit meeting in February so as to manipulate both opinion and the outcome.

From the Economist: "...Jamaica's Usain Bolt cruised to victory, taking his own 100m sprint world record down by three-hundredths of a second to 9.69 seconds. In the century or so since official records began, the quickest time has fallen by just under a second—a 9% improvement. But in the pool, Australia's Eamon Sullivan covered 100m in the heats (although he lost in the final) in a world-fastest time of 47.05 seconds, 19 seconds (and 28%) quicker than the record-holder of 1905 ..."

[Link]

Track and field is moving forward with shoe technology, cycling is moving forward with bearing technology, and swimming is moving forward with fabric technology as it always has and these improvements are not "crimes" against the sport but rather a natural prgression.

UPDATE: An anonymous poster sent me a link to an interactive graph at the New York Times website illustrating the world record progression in each Olympic sport. Not only is swimming just as symmetrical in terms of the percentage of improvement to other sports, in some cases, when compared to weight lifting and other power sports, it is lagging behind in improvement.

[Link]

Radio New Zealand News: Swimming NZ has been forced to withdraw from hosting a round of the 'FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup' next year

They've been unable to raise the $80,000 in sponsorship required to host the event in Wellington even though they have secured US television coverage to over 30 million homes.

This is a problem open water races are going to have to face head-on in 2009 and I suggest they hold events in striking locations with extraordinary water clarity. Perhaps this way television exposure could reach 100-million homes due to better network visibility rather than 30-million homes on a cable TV channel subsequently making sponsorship of the event look more attractive.

Open water looks beautiful in hi-def. Perhaps this is the carrot that pulls in a higher caliber network?

Open water swimming is very difficult to film - I almost think that all open water events for TV should be filmed in crystal blue water in the Bahamas so as to make the event look both look sexy and eventful underwater.

[Link]

The 'Albatross,' otherwise known as Michael Gross, slams speedsuits

From Wikipedia: "Michael Gro[ss] is a former swimmer from Germany. A 202 cm (6 ft 7 in) athlete, he received the nickname "The Albatross" due to his especially long arms which gave him a total span of 2.13 meters... [He] won three Olympic gold medals, two in 1984 and one in 1988 in the freestyle and butterfly events, in addition to two World Championship titles in 1982, two in 1986 and one in 1991." [Link]

From dw-world.de: "...It has become a technology battle which even overshadows the doping debate. That is a wrong turn for the sport," Gross told German news agency DPA. "Swimming is risking maneuvering itself on to the sidelines."

"..."

"I am glad that we didn't have this discussion during my days. But the worst thing is that the kick is slowly gone for the swimmers as well, the motto being 'I can try whatever I want, it is the suit that wins.'"

[Link]

He said this more than a week ago and I missed it. Rats!

Eamon Sullivan's coach, Grant Stoelwinder, suggest that the 'Speedo LZR' may not be the fastest suit!

Grant Stoelwinder is the head coach of the West Coast Swimming Club; his most notable accomplishment is sprinter, Eamon Sullivan. He is now working with Libby Trickett. Stoelwinder has placed himself in the "suit burner" camp and he had some very provocative things to say about speedsuits to the Sydney Morning Herald:

"....Grant Stoelwinder believed the controversial Speedo LZR Racer, the suit that ignited the record spree, shaved about 0.3 of a second off times per lap compared to previous suits - an enormous advance in sporting terms.

[...]

"I don't fool myself for one second as a coach and the trouble is as coaches some people think that swimmers are improving and you have to put it at about .3 per 50 with the Speedo suit on and I think some of them are even more. ..."

[Link]

He mentions that if speedsuits are banned, world records may be untouchable for a least a decade or so. Hence, one has to ask if that would benefit swimming in any way?

'The 17th boy' or Blogger Joel during his "Wonder Years"

Above is Blogger Joel of The 17th Man!

On Sale: End of the year speedsuit deals I have found!

TYR Aqua Shift Male Full Body: $75.95 [Link] Female $99.95 [Link]

Fastskin FS Pro Hi-Neck Bodyskin: $205 [Link] Female $267.43 [Link]

TYR Aquapel Full Body Male $75.95 [Link] Female $65.95: [Link]

Leveaux's 0:44.94 World Record at the European Short Course Championships!

His stroke is so much different than his 50-free stroke; Great turns too.

No matter how irrational this may seem, I get nervous when I step up to the blocks!

When I compete, I have nothing to be nervous about, yet when I get to the starting blocks for the 100-free my heart rate generally elevates to about 100-beats-per-minute or usually more. There is no rational reason to be nervous so I just accept that I will be nervous and that I will have no choice in the matter.

Here is how triathlete, Emma Snowsill, deals with pressure where she is quoted in Sydney Morning Herald:

"...Triathlete Emma Snowsill, who won gold in Beijing, on dealing with fame: "I was putting a lot of my own pressure on before the Olympics and I had a bit of a light bulb moment when I was out training, and when I got home I said to [my fiance and coach] Craig Walton, 'No matter what happens at the Olympics, the beach is still going to be there and my house is still going to be there and my dog is not going to know if I have a gold medal or not,' and that's what it's been like. Nothing feels any different to me. ..."

[Link]

Isn't it amazing how good philosophy, politics, or a policy looks on paper?

But when you get to the starting blocks and you suddenly become "adrenalized," why is it then that you remember that your "rational mind" has never, ever, won an argument with with your "irrational heart?"

Well look who is back in the pool - Loving that speedsuit too!

Thank you all so much for all your comments, corrections and insights. You all have made me a better swimmer and a blogger. :-)

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.

This is what a USMS national record in the mixed 400-SCM freestyle relay looks like!

These are my SCAQ "homies" swimming a 3:54.16 in the 4x100 free relay at the Belmont Plaza during the 2008 SPMA Regional Short Course Meters Championships. I filmed this race using Jenifer's camera from the bleachers.

Here are the splits and the participant's 100 free times:

Chris Beach

• 25.66 - 53.33

Jenifer Bronson:

• 31.06 - 1:05.86

Jenny Cook

• 31.15 - 1:05.13

Erik Hockstein

• 23.69 - 48.84

The 4x100 relay filmed completely underwater! - This is how swimming should be viewed!

Jason Lezak and Cullen Jones have more of a glide phase to their strokes than do the French or the Australians. That may not be a good thing. This race is even more amazing when viewed underwater than it was watching it from above.

Is the 'International Olympic Commitee' playing hardball with the 'USOC' or is it the other way around?

The IOC is taking the international credit crisis quite seriously and they are leveraging external profit centers for more money. In fact they are pointedly asking the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) to take a smaller cut in both Olympic Sponsorship deals and broadcast revenue sharing.

In none too subtle ways, the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid has been hinted as the carrot the IOC will use to get the USOC to agree to smaller percentage deals. From the L.A. Times:

Many IOC members have been applying public pressure for three years to insist that the USOC reduce the shares it gets from global Olympic sponsorship (20%) and U.S. broadcast rights money (12.75%)

[Link]

Now, though the IOC has categorically stated that they can ride out this credit crunch, IOC reserves have dropped 14% to $400-million dollars due to their financial officer making a bad bet against the dollar.

From another L.A. Times article:

As of last week, IOC reserves had dropped about 14% in 2008, to $400 million, according to IOC Finance Commission Chairman Richard Carrion of Puerto Rico. The stock market decline was an obvious reason for the drop, but another loss shows just how hard it is to hedge bets. The IOC's investments in currencies other than dollars also dropped because the dollar strengthened -- until the Federal Reserve cut interest rates to nothing this week.

[Link]

There is a Nigerian proverb that states: "When the mouse laughs at the cat, there is always a hole nearby!"

The fact that the USOC will not negotiate a compromise means the USOC is the "mouse" here and that the proverbial "hole" has got to be the massive interest USA media companies have on bidding for the Olympic Games. From AP News:

NEW YORK (AP) — CBS Corp. and Time Warner Inc. executives have discussed joining forces to bid on rights to televise the Olympics in 2014 and 2016, turning that competition into an even greater clash of media titans.

TV empires headed by incumbent NBC, Fox and ABC-ESPN have all said they expect to bid on the U.S. rights to the games. Because of the economy, the International Olympics Committee has said it is prepared to postpone its bid selection until after the host city is named next October for the 2016 Summer Games.

[Link]

Another curious thing that has been suggested is that IOC appears to be planning to wait till a host city is selected before opening the bidding for television rights for the 2016 Olympic Games. Now, if Chicago is selected, I suspect USA Media interests would bid more frantically since the US would be the host country. From Hellenic Athletes.com:

According to the IOC, a contract for the US market could be quite the bidding war as NBC, CBS-Time Warner, Fox and ABC Sports-ESPN are all reportedly chomping at the bit to televise what could be another US based games. The IOC’s main revenue source is broadcasting rights, with close to $4 billion alone for the 2010-2012 two-Games package. NBC’s portion -- long the lion’s share -- is about $2.2 billion, from a bid agreed to back in 2003.

And that is the issue -- prices agreed to many years in advance. The US rights deal has been considered the most important IOC television contract because it represents one of the largest source of funds..."

[Link]

Though I am hoping for a Tokyo 2016 Summer Games, I suspect that Chicago is the likely pick especially since the President elect of the United States has ties to that city, that there is a global recession in the horizon, and several enthusiastic USA media conglomerates are ready to go to auction. Hence it appears that Chicago is the likely candidate, and the IOC will likely place a bet on that horse.

As for the economic health of the United States and its global standing post Beijing. Our government has made a lot of bad choices. Americans have made a lot of bad choices and we share the blame for this economic credit collapse. Our government and the citizens herein generally only change when we HAVE TO and the people I associate with feel a sense of panic and severe embarrassment at this time!

Now is an opportunity for the US to change and get innovative or to simply circle the drain as we have been doing.

The "feeling on the ground" here in the US is that we are about to print up a lot of money and spend it on taking the US to the "next level" with massive energy projects and infrastructure projects like this country did in the 1930's and 1950's. I suspect Chicago 2016 will get some of that money and I bet the IOC really wants to hear that.

So, post cash infusion into our economy, I expect either a renaissance on a "Biblical scale" or the United States becoming a second tier nation in the next 30-years with a ferocious military. I for one am betting on the renaissance for that's what Americans do, they believe, and we take chances.

'Swimming Australia Limited' will tell FINA that swimsuit designs circa 1970 should be the de facto standard!

They didn't exactly say it that way but according to Swim News, Swimming Australia Limited is making these suggestions to FINA in February:

"Men's swimwear shall be limited to one swimsuit that covers, at most, the 
body surface from hips to knee. Swimwear must not extend above the waist or 
below the knees

 [Read as jammers only]

Women's swimwear shall be limited to one swimsuit that is of "open back"
and "open shoulder" designs that may extend down to the knee. Swimwear must 
not extend below the knees. 

[Read as a short-john with no zipper]

General: Swimwear must not have a zipper or any type of fastening system.

All swimwear worn by competitors in Age Group Events (18 and under)
 conducted in Australia by SAL shall be commercially available products ..."

[Link]

If the USMS is force to agree with these standards, I would own over $500 worth of suits that I couldn't wear to a meet. I am sure that there are other swimmers, who have way more money invested than I do.

These three stories this year have placed our sport on "pop-culture's radar!" they include!

1. Speedsuits (NASA said it was their biggest story)
   
2. Michael Phelps (Sports Illustrated has magazines and books about him)
   
3. Dara Torres (Masters swimming has never been bigger I bet?)
   

I think it is demonstrable that speedsuits have been good to swimming both economically and growth-wise. In he past couple swim networks have grown as has television coverage.

Here are some rhetorical question for "suit burners:"

1. Did helmets, face masks and/or shoulder pads make American football less exciting or less pure of a sport?
2. Has the swimming population decreased this year as a result of speedsuits or has it increased?
3. Will there be more swimming related investment if speedsuits are banished?

Above is a photo I found at WesClark.com. therein is a page dedicated to retro-Burbank, California.

Libby Trickett: "Suit burners are Luddites"

I had a email conversation with Ahelee about how an "old boys network" will be deciding the fate of speedsuits and that we have yet to hear any female voices; Well, here's one and she actually swims too. From the Sydney Morning Herald:

"...MULTIPLE Olympic gold medal winner Libby Trickett believes banning the use of hi-tech bodysuits would set the sport "back a decade".

"...I read that in 1972, I think, there were 53 world records broken, and there has been 54 [long course] this year," Trickett said. "What provided that difference that year?

"...I don't think it really makes sense to ban the suits across the board, because then we would be going back over a decade ago to when we were just wearing the togs - and that, to me, would be a reversal in the sport. I don't see why we would want to go back to that time.

[Link]

Well that shows you, Clay Evans, Blogger Scott, and Craig Lord. ;-P

The photo of Libby Trickett came from ABC.net.

Highest pool in Hong Kong

Here we have a salt water pool overlooking Victoria Harbor at the "W" hotel in Hong Kong. The pool is listed as being located on the 76th floor and if I am reading it correctly, the pool depth is 1.4 meters.

They also mention that wireless high speed internet access is available for your laptop. (That sort of killed for me despite my love for the internet. Just leave the laptop in your room!)

Found originally at NotCot.org, here is a direct link to the pool description: [Link]

No "garbage yardage" for Natalie Coughlin - When in training she swims between 6000-7000 yards!

From the SF Gate: "... Natalie Coughlin built her fame in the water, stroke by tedious stroke. She swam between 6,000 and 7,000 yards per practice - once or twice a day, five days a week, for the year leading into the Olympics in August. Her talent and training led to six medals in Beijing, the most ever by a U.S. female athlete in one Olympics. ..." [Link]

Those distances have a nice to ring to them. One-hour in the morning, another hour in the evening would actually feel pretty good.

Coach Bill Boomer is our 'Master Po' and he knows 'Swim-Fu!"

Above and to the left is an image of 'Master Po' from the American television series, Kung Fu. The show ran on ABC television from 1972-1975. The late great actor, Keye Luke, portrayed the blind Shaolin monastery priest whose character was expert in both Kung Fu and the Tao.

In the series, Master Po, mentored a young orphaned Chinese/American boy named, Kwai Chang Caine, in the sublime arts of Chinese philosophy and martial combat. Ultimately this led to the culmination of a Chinese/American Shaolin priest.

Set against the backdrop of the American west, each Kung Fu episode was really two shows in one: When faced with a moral or an ethical conflict in the present, flashback sequences were used as Kwai Chang Caine reflected upon his teachings with Master Po for answers as to how to resolve his present conflicts.

For entertainment sake this usually meant 50% of the his problems were resolved philosophically with communication and good feelings whereas the other 50% were settled with really cool fight sequences.

Bill Boomer is swimming's version of "Master Po."

First, here is some background info on Bill Boomer from wikipedia: "... Boomer had no experience coaching swimming when he started at Rochester. The graduate assistant to the track and field team had in fact never seen a swim meet prior to being offered the job. In order to better understand his swimmers, Boomer studied how the human body reacted to the water in a pool. From there, Boomer developed swimming techniques similar to those used by aquatic animals, and those techniques would then be adapted by some of the best swimmers in the world. Boomer's techniques emphasize keeping the core body aligned properly to minimize water resistance. ..."

What Boomer and the art of Kung Fu have in common is that they both use animal analogies to describe fighting styles and swimming styles. Kung fu has the Crane style, the Tiger, the Praying Mantis, and Bill Boomer uses cats and dogs to describe the swimming styles of swimmers.

Boomer granted an interview with Brent Rutemiller of Swimming World Magazine where he used his animal metaphors and analogies much like "Master Po" would in Kung Fu.

For example, he compares Gary Hall to a cheetah; a guy who is up for one precise hunt and then he is done! Whereas a leopard; (read that as Michael Phelps), can hunt multiple times in a single day. Then he says that Dara Torres was a cheetah forced to train like a dog but now trains like a cheetah and suddenly she is swimming faster than ever.

Olympian, Erik Hochstein called this interview "...one of the best interviews about swimming I have seen/heard in a long time." I feel it is a load of fun and very helpful for those swimmers looking for their inner-animal. As for my style I am probably a kitten!

Here is a link to that interview: [Link]

15 out of 17 European National Governing Bodies have signed a protest which will be presented to FINA in February

From the Independent: Pursley said: "It demeans the records and kind of cheapens them to an extent. Up to this generation of suits I think it's just been maximising performance but I think we're crossing the line to enhancing performance and to me that is a whole different area." FINA are set to meet with coaches and suitmakers in the next two months and Pursley wants action to be taken. He added: "There is a strong consensus in the coaching community that feel that at the very minimum there needs to be regulation and there needs to be monitoring and there needs to be a strict approval process. And whatever is approved needs to be available to all the teams and all the athletes at least a minimum of 12 months in advance of the competition. ..." [Link]

I smell political gamesmanship!

Glenn Mills reviews the 'BlueSeventy' - he is impressed with its durability and speed!

Glenn Mills has reviewed his blueseventy. Glenn is pro-speedsuits, loves the blueseventy and is astonished how durable it is. Here is a snippet: : "... Whenever you spend $400 on ANY swim-related item, you want to make sure it will do certain things. 1) Make you feel better in the water. 2) Make you go FASTER in the water. 3) Last for more than a few swims.

Again, PURISTS BEWARE!!! SPOILER ALERT!!! The BlueSeventy will absolutely accomplish the first two items on my short list of three considerations. Should that be legal? Forum posts, please. :)

Item #3... "last for more than a few swims"... is a big one for many people, and I'm here to give you a report on what my BlueSeventy has been through over the past 8 months. I can hear someone already... 8 months... and the suit looks like THAT?!?!?! Read on..."

Chicago 2016 bid suggests building a temporary pool for the games

Their reason for building a disposable pool is that they want to: "do it for the children!"

That is to say, once the Olympics are done, they fold it up and put it in a park somewhere for kids to enjoy!

Frankly, I think that it is a tired, political, PR line they are floating here and it does not wash. I just don't believe that a temp pool will benefit Chicago kids for Illinois politicians, starting with the Governor's office, certainly don't have a history of credibility.

From the USOC: "...We worked very closely with international sports federations and national governing bodies,'' said Doug Arnot, Chicago 2016's operations chief. ``This plan is better for sport, better for the games and, perhaps most importantly, better for Chicago's youth sports legacy. This plan remains very financially responsible. ...'' [Link]

Well, Points-off, Chicago! You flunked miserably in my Olympic view of the world. I want a pool with artistic glory and a structure that is a de facto Olympic monument. Perhaps something so great that in a 1000 years it would even rival the Roman Coliseum. The Bird's Nest may be that monument that this century is remebered by but I prefer better one.

In the long run we are all dead. Let Chicago spend some money on an inspirational idea and leave it behind for us.

If Chicago's ideas are that uninspired then the IOC should pass the torch to Japan or Rio!

How bizarre that the richest nation on earth is considering building a temp-pool for the Olympics! That to me is indicitive that this nation is degrading both financially and artistically.

Boy, Japan and Rio are looking pretty good to me right now!

Rebecca Adlington recognized with a BBC award!

For a higher-rez version, here is the You Tube link: [Link]

Times Online: "Strokes of genius that changed the world for Rebecca Adlington"

The Times Online has a great overview regarding Rebecca Adlington's training for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Shades of Michael Phelps here: Technology and a plan allowed Adlington to reverse split in the 400-meter free earning herself a solid gold medal in Beijing by 700-of-a-second:

"...To swim faster, most swimmers increase the stroke rate, but with the aquapacer, Miley took Adlington through a session where they slowed her stroke rate down and found she was able to maintain the same high speed. In other words, the length of her stroke was her asset. “Rebecca is one of the rare swimmers where this is the case,” Miley said. “She was moving with such efficiency, it may have felt like she was swimming downhill....”

Adlington also worked on the finer points of her swim such as her turns. I like the innovative way they addressed filming them:

"... Once back in the pool, Adlington was able to fine-tune the weaker part of her game: her tumble turn. This involved linking up again with Jodi Cossor, the biomechanist at British Swimming, who, over the course of the previous year, had worked with her in the pool at Loughborough, videoing her turns from above and below. ..."

Then there was her finish, the one side-by-side with Katie Hoff. The one where I quoted Clay Evans angrily saying this about Katie Hoff: "it looked like she didn't want to break a nail. ..."

"... The finish itself was programmed into Adlington, too. “Rebecca knows exactly how many strokes per length so she is coached to finish at the end of a stroke,” Furniss said. “It's been drilled into her. And that is what she did.”

Hoff, however, finished with her arm not straight, her wrist cocked and her hand flat. No one can be sure how much time that final error cost her but for that last five metres took Adlington 2.69sec, Hoff 2.89. ..."

The photo comes from RobH3's photostream at Flickr.com.

Here is a direct link to the photo: [Link]

Michael Phelps Video Game Slated for 2010!

The Sports Business Journal: "...505 Games plans to show you. The European company, which recently opened a U.S. office, has signed an unprecedented endorsement and licensing agreement with Phelps that will result in the development of the first video game … [Link]

Joel of the 'The 17th Man' swim blog really is the 17th man!

In the USMS database, Joel McKenna, is ranked nationally in the United States as having the 17th fastest time across all age groups in the 1500scm free. Congratulations Joel. Here is a link The 17th Man swim blog. [Link]

Rumor about speedsuits

Politicians love bait-and-switch! If they want something accomplished yet the reasons as to why they want it looks way too sketchy for the public to consumption. Hence, they switch reasons and frame the debate in a particular linguistic terms that the public will accept. Phrases like: Think of the children, they have weapons of mass destruction, the Communists will eat our brains if we don't do what I propose.

Generally speaking, they usually grab a phrase, a concept or a particular idea that is either partially real, maybe real, or more likely a damn lie and they run with it.

USA Swimming is going with the idea that speedsuits hurt age-group swimmers, and colleges who can't afford them.

I heard a rumor today that the globally recognized National Governing Bodies of swimming are really pissed off at speedsuits because of the world record bonuses they have to pay out to athletes that break records. Now instead of hearing speedsuits are costing us "mad-phat-bank" as an argument to ban them, we hear "what about those poor Ivy league schools" and those "age-group swimmers" who can't afford them?!"

USA Swimming clarifies the breaststroke pull-out and dolphin kick!

Lane 9 News covers the USA Swimming clarification: "...During the time since the change, there has been much confusion about what constitutes the beginning of the first arm pull. Based upon the Rules & Regulations Committee understanding of FINA's interpretation and actual practice in international competition, our guidance has been that the mere separation of the hands or arms does not necessarily constitute the beginning of the first arm pull.

However, we have been informed that FINA's interpretation is now different from our previous understanding of what constitutes the beginning of the first arm pull. In order for our interpretation to conform to that used by FINA, the following interpretation is being made, effective immediately.

For purposes of Article 101.2.3, as it relates to what constitutes the initiation of the first arm pull and the allowed single downward butterfly kick, the following applies:

After the start and after each turn, any lateral or downward movement of the hands or arms is considered to be the initiation of the first arm pull. ..."

Apparently I was doing it wrong. Here is my translation and probably something will be lost: Do your turn, kick out, arm pull, and you are done - no more "anything" till you break the surface!

Spencer Elden: The 'Nirvana baby' is now a 17-year-old high school graduate!

From CNN: "... Now 17, Elden says he was paid $1,000 to re-enact the famous pool pose for photographers. Compare that to the original shoot, which paid $200.

"Stuff happens like random cool situations where I get paid $500 just to go hang out," Elden said. "People just call me up and they're like, 'Hey you're the Nirvana baby, right? Well just come and swim in my pool and we'll give you some money.' " Read more about Elden and the 1991 photo shoot..." [Link]

The photo was recreated at Rose Bowl Aquatics. It would be so cool if he were a swimmer!

Rijeka: 2008 European Short Course Meters Championships - New WR for Amaury Leveaux in the 50-meter free!

This was posted on You Tube an hour ago. Amaury Leveaux in a semi-final swims a 20.63! 20.48!

1 LEVEAUX Amaury FRA 20.48 NEW WR
2 BOUSQUET Frederick FRA 20.69
3 DRAGANJA Duje CRO 21.15
3 LAGUNOV Evgeny RUS 21.15
5 ORSI Marco ITA 21.32
6 FESIKOV Sergey RUS 21.42
7 NALESSO Mattia ITA 21.46
8 MURPHY Barry IRL 21.62

Erik Hochstein on 'The Morning Swim Show'

Erik Hochstein interview can be viewed here: [Link]

The Morning Swim Show: Erik Hochstein, Jeff Commings Talk About New Masters World Records
December 11, 2008