Dear General Public,
I am sorry.
In my last blog I told you all about the speed suits and how the effected the sport on all levels. This time around, FINA (swimming’s world governing body) is up to no good again.
It was a mere 4 months ago that FINA came out with a list of suits that would be allowed from then until January 1, 2010. A few days, and many angry suit companies, later FINA decided that they would not ban ANY suits and allow all suits to be worn in competition. This sent a shockwave through the swimming community. There was officially no limit on what someone could wear.
Then comes July 2009, FINA says that on January 1, 2010 we will only see textile, fully permeable swim suits. For women, suits covering their torso and their upper leg (above the knee) will be permitted. No zippers, only elastic straps. That’s fine, great. For men, only suits (same material as female suits) can be worn from below the navel to above the knee. Nothing bigger, also great.
Now just a couple days ago, FINA has started to entertain the idea (from a few member nations) that the male suit should equal the female suit. This means that men could wear material above their navel and over the shoulder. Think a pair of long johns; you know the kind that people used to wear before they had heat, only these cannot go past the knee.
There have not been any sureties about this coming up pass, but it was only a couple weeks ago that FINA decided that they would hold fast and stand their ground about their new rule changes. Sure enough the brilliant minds, and I use that term as loosely as possible, at FINA have started to second guess themselves…AGAIN!
Swimming has enough trouble keeping fans between Olympics. Thanks to the idiotic actions of Mr. Phelps (and his infamous bong), and now FINA and their flip-flopping, a la Al Gore in the 2000 elections, swimming is getting a reputation of some what of a joke. What our sport needs is someone with the gall to just stand up and say “Here are the rules; I do not care if you like, we are not going to change them.”
Wow, imagine that, someone and/or some organization actually holding true to what they have said in the past? What a concept.
It is now that I would formally like to say that on behalf of the entire swimming community, we are sorry that FINA is making us look like a bunch of fools.
Please forgive us, and check us out more then once every four years.
Thank you,
Dave Rollins
Assistant Swimming Coach Northern Arizona University
Head Coach Flagstaff Peaks Aquatic Club
I am sorry.
In my last blog I told you all about the speed suits and how the effected the sport on all levels. This time around, FINA (swimming’s world governing body) is up to no good again.
It was a mere 4 months ago that FINA came out with a list of suits that would be allowed from then until January 1, 2010. A few days, and many angry suit companies, later FINA decided that they would not ban ANY suits and allow all suits to be worn in competition. This sent a shockwave through the swimming community. There was officially no limit on what someone could wear.
Then comes July 2009, FINA says that on January 1, 2010 we will only see textile, fully permeable swim suits. For women, suits covering their torso and their upper leg (above the knee) will be permitted. No zippers, only elastic straps. That’s fine, great. For men, only suits (same material as female suits) can be worn from below the navel to above the knee. Nothing bigger, also great.
Now just a couple days ago, FINA has started to entertain the idea (from a few member nations) that the male suit should equal the female suit. This means that men could wear material above their navel and over the shoulder. Think a pair of long johns; you know the kind that people used to wear before they had heat, only these cannot go past the knee.
There have not been any sureties about this coming up pass, but it was only a couple weeks ago that FINA decided that they would hold fast and stand their ground about their new rule changes. Sure enough the brilliant minds, and I use that term as loosely as possible, at FINA have started to second guess themselves…AGAIN!
Swimming has enough trouble keeping fans between Olympics. Thanks to the idiotic actions of Mr. Phelps (and his infamous bong), and now FINA and their flip-flopping, a la Al Gore in the 2000 elections, swimming is getting a reputation of some what of a joke. What our sport needs is someone with the gall to just stand up and say “Here are the rules; I do not care if you like, we are not going to change them.”
Wow, imagine that, someone and/or some organization actually holding true to what they have said in the past? What a concept.
It is now that I would formally like to say that on behalf of the entire swimming community, we are sorry that FINA is making us look like a bunch of fools.
Please forgive us, and check us out more then once every four years.
Thank you,
Dave Rollins
Assistant Swimming Coach Northern Arizona University
Head Coach Flagstaff Peaks Aquatic Club
You know how the record books in baseball should have asteriks everywhere with pre-steroid era, post-steroid era? Same should happen in swimming. It should read pre-crazy suit, post-crazy suits. Records are one of the best parts of swimming. Having them tainted by suits that change how you cut through the water hurts the sport.
ReplyDeleteJoe