It’s been a hot topic with staunch supporters standing firmly on one side or the other for almost a year now: should USMS follow FINA’s ruling about competitive suits?
Today we learned the answer: yes.
I for one, am very happy about the announcement. Yep, I know that statement will anger many fellow masters swimmers. But, being an American, I plan to exercise my freedom of speech to defend my statement today.
1) I understand the argument that allowing suits such as BlueSeventy would attract new people to the sport. But at the price of losing dedicated swimmers? For every pro-tech suit person I know, I can count an equal number of lifelong competitive swimmers who were not going to race again if the suits were ruled legal.
Absolutely, let’s bring swimming to the masses, (I am the self-proclaimed swim-evangelist afterall!) but can’t we find a way to do this without alienating a good portion of the existing population?
2) I don’t like the extreme level of the “buy yourself some speed” promise of the neoprene suits. It completely negates hard work, finding your own edge, and the ultimate satisfaction of seeing your times improve based on effort, not equipment.
Having a special suit just for racing makes sense. But one that alters your alignment enough (and not equally for all) to drop crazy margins of time? I think not.
3) I’m not crazy about the potential mixed-message kids would recieve if FINA had one rule and USMS had another. Meaning, “you need to work hard and follow rules as a kid, but then all that doesn’t matter once you’re an adult.”
4) On a purely personal level, I didn’t want to have to go there to “stay competitive.” The suits seem really hot and uncomfortable. I don’t like it when my shoulders/arms are restricted.
In fact, I haven’t been excited about 2010 Nationas yet because I knew I might have to make a decision about wearing one or not if tech suits were ruled legal. On the one hand, it would be a big expense, one I don’t know that I could’ve justified on top of travel, hotel, entry fees, etc. On the other hand (and to be completely honest), I know I’d be super annoyed if someone who’s normally not within 30 seconds of me touched me out while wearing a BlueSeventy vs my Fastskin.
The issue is certainly complicated, especially when you throw Fastskins into the mix. What’s the defining line of a “tech suit?” What price is considered to be within the reach of the norm? Must rumminate some more…
Until next time,
Rebecca, swim evangelist