MANCHESTER, England, December 19. AFTER several readers questioned Swimming World due to American records being listed in the results at the Duel in the Pool, we contacted USA Swimming to find out whether these national records will be ratified.
A USA Swimming official went a step further and explained that any American records set in a techsuit after the date the governing body applied the techsuit ban domestically on Oct. 1, will not be ratified. This ruling is even in the case of international competitions where techsuits were legally worn, such as the Duel in the Pool, and if extrapolated should apply to any and all American records set on the World Cup circuit.
This ruling will also lead to some interesting issues, similar to the Japanese Swimming Federation recognizing national records that were not ratified as world records. This decision will just be a 180 where United States citizens will hold world records that are faster than the listed American records.
The sport could potentially see some lawsuits from this ruling as swimmers who were competing legally in an event at the time could be denied bonus money with USA Swimming not ratifying a national record.
Swimming World will continue to look into this decision.
Reaction Time Comments
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December 19, 2009 It's official, this meet is a farce. No wonder much of the American talent sat this one out.
I hear that USA Swimming Overlord, Chuck Wieglus, makes more than the President of the United States and apparently he has made sure that USA Swimming will do whatever it can to withhold paying out a bonus or two on a technicality even if it is Christmas. Submitted by: Groovydoo
December 19, 2009 I don't see how any legal ramifications can stem from this. You can't sue USA Swimming for not giving you record money when you're going against their rules just because you're in a country where it is legal.
Do you see anyone winning lawsuits in the US to get out of their charges for possession of ecstasy or cocaine just because police in Amsterdam don't care? No. Submitted by: jeffyfit
December 19, 2009 Phelps set a 200 fly American record in Berlin last month that should stand. Submitted by: David Rieder
December 19, 2009 jeffyfit, maybe you don't see what's right in front of you because you choose to be blind. Hysterical blindness? Seems like an epidemic.
Using illicit drug comparisons is stupid, reckless, and smells desperate, like comparing your opponent to Hitler when you have no real argument. How much damage are you willing do inflict on the sport? The decision to ban the suits was wrong. History will prove me right. Submitted by: fluidg
December 19, 2009 I think the swimmers might have a pretty good lawsuit. I think a court might found that USA Swimming changed the rules just to avoid paying the anticipated bonuses, since there seems to be no rational justification for changing the suit requirements before the international rules go into effect. Submitted by: oldaardvark
December 19, 2009 Whoever said swimming was not a controversial sport!
If money's in the mix.... Submitted by: mario2007
December 19, 2009 oldaardvark, I think there are other reasons USA Swimming changed the rule early - to try to start cleaning up this mess that is the suits. Allowing the suits at the Duel was a major mistake that could have been avoided had Italy agreed.
USA Swimming banned suits in DOMESTIC competition. There was NEVER ANY talk of records until now. FIFTEEN different swimmers (5 in World Cup, 10 in Duel in the Pool) set records that won't be approved, but most likely none of them (especially the abandoned-by-USA Swimming World Cup swimmers) knew of the rule. To me it seems like USA Swimming is asking for a lawsuit.
I want one good reason why banning the suits is bad for swimming besides that times won't be as fast. Benefits: fairer competition (fluidg, I don't want to get into this arguement again) and a return to a focus on on ideals of swimming: technique and hard work. In Garrett's interview with Matt Lowe at the Pro-Am meet, Lowe effectively said the same this (paraphrasing): mistakes show now without the suits. He is happy to go back to jammers for this reason.
And I gotta say, a return to textile makes analyzing the races a lot easier and makes watching it a hell of a lot more exciting if you don't have to think about what suit the athlete's wearing! Submitted by: David Rieder
December 19, 2009 There's a precedent in that USA Swimming has a track record of asking for the suits to be banned as soon as possible. And a court wouldn't be able to single them out as banning suits early to avoid paying any prizes, because they aren't the only country to do so.
Further, unless it is at the Olympics, as far as I know, USA Swimming and the USOC don't pay for American records. So therefore, moot point. Submitted by: jeffyfit
December 19, 2009 I think techsuits are too costly for every swimmers. Whoever wears the less technically advanced suit will be disadvantaged from the very beginning. It's just like Formula 1. It also takes too much of trouble to wear. Furthermore, it could bust open in the middle of the race. What's so good about it? Submitted by: Will
December 19, 2009 Will any of these swimmers really make this such a priority as to litigate? I hope not. The suits will be gone. I'd like to think they have more pressing goals to focus on now. Move forward. Submitted by: ShortChange
December 20, 2009 Will, None of the arguments hold true. When I'm at meets, I don't hear swimmers complaining about the "trouble" putting the suits on or even the expense. Swimmers LOVE the suits and we want them in the sport. You certainly don't speak for me or any swimmer I know. Why don't you go look at the price of jammers now. $170! What a rip-off. That's your idea of affordable? Submitted by: fluidg
December 20, 2009 fluidg, take a poll of the US National team or the top swimmers in the world. The VAST majority wants to see the suits go. I was reading an article about Nathan Adrian recently, and he claimed he hated the suits because of the trouble it takes to put them on.
Will and ShortChange, agree completely with you guys. Submitted by: David Rieder
December 20, 2009 fluidg: I think you are only attending select meets in one country (USA). World swimming is bigger and there are plenty of athletes out here that don't like the adverse publicity and doubt cast on performances that the suits have caused. Of course those benefiting most from the suits still kid themselves that everyone wants to keep them. Seems to me they have a convenient blind spot not to mention selective hearing!
Jammers at 170 US? yes I agree what a rip off! However the costs of all these suits should not be the issue: The question is simple: Do you want artificial help with your performance or want to perform to the limits of your natural ability? Submitted by: scotswim
December 20, 2009 I personally don't like the tech suits. Most here (I'd say over 95 of serious swimmers) in the states don't either.
Here's the problem for me. Sure, at the top level, everyone can afford them and have them, so it's an even playing field. But what about at 11 year old age group meets? Or highschool meets? Everyone there cannot afford them, I don't care what country your in. And that's where it creates an uneven playing field. And then where do you draw the line? At what point do you say "ok, this is a high enough level of competition for tech-suits to be ok." And then do you have to create conversions to compare tech-suits to non tech-suits for the purposes of Olympic Trials qualifying?
From what I've seen, the only people who want the suits to stay are people who have a lot of money, don't want to put in the work to become a good swimmer and drop time, or whose egos can't handle the fact that they aren't talented enough to swim the 100m fly in 52 seconds.
I'll admit, they're fun to swim in. It's a really awesome feeling to go that fast. But if you're just in it for the awesome feeling, Speedo has a ton of these suits laying around that they can never use, I'm sure they'll cut you a good deal on one. Or go swim a Masters Meet, as of yet, they haven't outlawed the suits. Submitted by: GigEmAggies
December 20, 2009 I think it's pretty clear by now that no amount of logical reasoning will change fluidg's mind. He/she obviously:
1. Is benefitting tremendously from the suits
2. Can afford them
3. Loves spending 20-45 minutes putting them on
4. Lives somewhere and/or attends certain meets where everybody is for the suits
5. has an economic interest in keeping them
6. actually thinks 250 world records in less than 2 years makes for an exciting sport and is the measure of progress
I'm curious to hear how many of you would think Christmas is a special time if it happened once/twice a month? I honestly feel NO excitement over world records these days and it's a damn shame, as some of the athletes actually are making progress, their results are just buried under the suits.
This time, I literally wish everyone in swimming a HAPPY New Year's! :) Submitted by: JakedBadForYou
December 20, 2009 And as evidence that there are bonuses give for American Records at meets besides Olympics and WC's, here's an example:
http://www.usaswimming.org/USASWeb/_Rainbow/Documents/f8ee259f-bd78-426c-9733-c95548be68b7/StdsGrandPrix.pdf
Not sure if this meet offered a bonus, however. Submitted by: GigEmAggies
December 21, 2009 250 WRs after 2 years. Emotionless... I was in Singapore World Cup this year. When women's 400m IM WR was broken, somehow I could not feel the excitement I thought I should have. Probably, when something happens too frequent in your life, you kinda get sick and tired of it and finally it's no longer exciting and fun. Submitted by: Will
December 21, 2009 About the suit technology that's soon to be banned...I just read today that Phelps and his coach Bowman have decided to sit out all international meets until everyone stops using "floating suits". I totally agree. I feel that Phelps and other great American swimmers are "box office draws"...meaning, they are the only reason I will watch the sport. Part of changing the sport of swimming is not just breaking records, but having a swimming culture develop around this fascinating sport. It should always be about the triumph of the human spirit and not the making of a new plastic. Submitted by: slawrunner
Reaction Time responses do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions
of Swimming World Magazine or SwimmingWorldMagazine.com.
Reaction Time is provided as a service to our readers.
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