USOC Looks to Cap Sponsors on Swim Caps

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, June 17. ACCORDING to a report by Tripp Mickle in the Sports Business Journal, the United States Olympic Committee has asked USA Swimming to be more vigilant regarding rules about sponsors on swimmers' caps.

While swimmers have been able to thank their sponsors via positioning on their caps, nearly the most marketable portion of a swimmer's apparel package, the USOC has stated that previously unenforced rules against the practice need to be enforced at both the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha and in Beijing at the Olympics.

According to Mickle's report, "the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Swimming sent a memo on April 30 advising all swimmers that the organizations would enforce rules that prevent "commercial identification … except for the standard manufacturers logo" from appearing on equipment during the trials."

The report goes on to have quotes from top agents like Octagon's Peter Carlisle explaining that the agents are in agreement that swimmers should have the ability to wear whatever they want to wear.

USA Swimming Executive Director Chuck Wielgus also spoke to the Sports Business Journal, saying he "can't imagine a situation where staff is on the swim deck checking for illegal caps. We're caught in the middle because we don't want anything done to distract the athletes' attention. This is something that hasn't been an issue in the past, so it's hard to see it become one on the eve of the trials."

What are your thoughts about the potential fines that could come about if and when swimmers are found to be in violation of this rule? Let us know via Reaction Time.

Full text of Sports Business Journal article.

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