en-us Copyright 2006-2009 Flocasts Inc Fri, 3 Jul 2009 20:47:32 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/assets/portal/simple30/images/logos/floswimming-logo.gif http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/7758-my-club-program-is-way-better-than-your-club-program You know whats really been burning me up recently? Your club program. It was featured on floswimming in the last two years, and mine wasn't. That really makes me mad for one reason: my club program is way better than your program. Oh, I know you've had your successes. But lets be serious, your team is only a USA Swimming Gold Club, and my team is so amazing that they created the USA Swimming Diamond Club because it was that good. Can you beat that? We had a dual meet last week with Team Australia. They stopped scoring after the first event because we won by so much. This issue is really important to me because swimming for the best team in the country is my goal in life. Its going to open up all sorts of doors for me. Last week, President Obama called up my club coach and asked him what to do about North Korea. My coach said he was busy and that he would call Barack back when the long course season was over. My coach is incredibly awesome. One time he made eye contact with one of my teammates right before he swam and the kid immediately dropped 10 seconds in a fifty. Your coach is terrible and really overrated. The only reason people think he is good is because he has good swimmers, and they all came from another club before that Thats not all I have to get off my chest. I saw that your state's high school swimming has been featured on floswimming. What a joke. My state is the best state in the history of high school swimming. I looked at your state results. Did you know that my state's 12th place finisher in the 200 freestyle was way faster than your state's? Well now you do. Pwned. So why don't you crawl back into the hole you and your team/state came from and never appear again. In the meantime, I have a bone to pick with one Garrett McCaffrey. How could he not show up to our pool unannounced and uninvited? How rude! Chris_desantis http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/7758-my-club-program-is-way-better-than-your-club-program Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:10:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Thescreamingviking/7752-professional-swim-league Recently, the SCAQ blog has made a couple of posts calling for us to consider pushing for a professional swim league. We are now in the dawn of the professional swimming athlete, tech suits, and more importantly, the age of Michael Phelps. We are getting the press. I feel that we have reached the point where we are getting many of the negatives of being a premier sport, but we haven’t quite capitalized on all of the positives. Brent Rutemiller at Swimming World recently made the case that there has never been a better time than now to take the plunge. A professional swim league that embraces suit technology could be the perfect way to keep the Olympics and our traditional system intact and pure, while allowing the suit companies to innovate and keep the sport fresh and growing. Who says we can’t have meets that don’t follow FINA rules? The high schools have been operating that way for years. It would not surprise me if the NFHS continued to allow tech even if FINA goes back to permeable with length restrictions. So what if we were to host a meet where the times wouldn’t count as traditional world records? Why couldn’t we add the 50’s of the strokes and underwater fly kicking as events without pressuring FINA to add it to their meets? This honestly could let FINA off the hook regarding suits, and give us a way to resolve the issues that might come up with the looming decision on whether or not to let records set in technology stand. It would not have to be done with a spirit of defiance… It could be something completely separate from the way we currently do things, but it could be done in the interest of enhancing and promoting our traditional system. We now have hubs of post-college excellence in teams like Club Wolverine, North Baltimore, Mecklenburg and the Race Club. Why not have suit company sponsored training sites with sponsored coaches leading them? Team TYR and Team Speedo could have a whole new meaning. They could set up a college-style system of dual meets and a championship, or even a system of invites for pro athletes similar to the Grand Prix series that would not interfere with our current club system. They could keep it light and fun, and give pro athletes a way to take an exciting detour during the season and generate income to keep their traditional swim careers progressing. I would personally buy a ticket to watch Ian Crocker put on a tech suit and put Lochte and Hill Taylor to shame with some serious fly kicking. College or high school format duals would be fun. Eight man 50 free shootouts are a blast. Anything that makes swimming more spectator friendly could be fair game. Come on, guys. Let’s get creative. Just like butterfly spawned from people innovating their breaststroke technique, a great thing could come out of suit companies innovating their products. Let’s help write a mission statement for this thing and come up with a way to end the fighting over tech. Let’s allow it to bring our sport to a new and exciting place while simultaneously ending the debates over the purity of the sport. In the comments section below, I want to know what you would like to include in the mission statement, format and rules for a professional league. Let’s bust the door to the house of ideas wide open. We could create a real solution. Thescreamingviking http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Thescreamingviking/7752-professional-swim-league Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:15:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Dwg/7020-missing-pieces We've seen it happen at every level. A team is loaded at the top with two, maybe three studs. But the relative quality of the supporting cast is a bigger drop off than the one over the edge of half dome. The Japanese men are a classic example. In Beijing and Athens, the Japanese relays dropped one or two medal spots thanks to inferior freestylers. Roma 2009 is just around the corner, and a number of countries have shown great promise in certain events, but have produced a grand total of zero contendors in others. Here are a few countries with major superstars that are a few swimmers short of gaining the dark horse moniker. Spain, Men's 4x100 Medley: Espana is home to the reigning short course 100 backstroke world record holder, Aeschwin Wildeboer. Wildeboer is no slouch over a 50 meter course either. He is currentley ranked third in the long course 100 back, having recorded a 52.93 at Spanish Nationals. Rafa Munoz may well be the next Ian Crocker, and if he does not succumb to the same curse as Ian Crocker (Michael Phelps), he is in a league of his own. But Spain's fastest breaststroker, Melquiades Alvarez, is currentley ranked 18th in the world at 1:00.59. And the Red Fury's fastest 100 freestyler is Jose Alanso, at 49.74. Spain is going to need a much stronger back half than that in order to contend for a medal, especially since neither the Americans or the Aussies have shown all their cards yet. Sweden, Men's 4x100 Free: Stefan Nystrand has signed with Arena, and has begun a more intense weight lifting program, so don't be surprised to see a big smile affixed to that shiny dome as Nystrand ascends the podium between the seven hills. Jonas Perrson is capable of a low 47, but 35 year old Lars Frolander reached his summit in Sydney, and Petter Stymne's best of 49.17, set in the water cube, just doesn't cut it anymore. The fifth place 4x100 free relay from Beijing may well be intact this summer, but as things stand on paper, the Swedes have a better chance of succesfully ravaging the British isles in a dragon headed longship than contending in the battle between the French, Aussies and Americans. ? Dwg http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Dwg/7020-missing-pieces Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:17:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/7701-world-champs-trials-preview With World Championship Trials just one week away, I thought it would be appropriate to do a preview. However, rather than bore you with a rundown of all the events, I'm going to give you a couple of what I think are the most interesting subplots of the Trials meet. The meet itself is crucial from a psychological standpoint- last year the American squad mostly watched a world record onslaught from afar and then put on a show in Omaha. So far this summer we've seen some serious spikes from a number of traditionally bit players internationally: Brazil, Spain and even a bit of a comeback from the German men. Can the US answer the bell again? Lets get started: 1. Are American sprinting men screwed without Jason Lezak? Unless you were in a coma last August, you know that the US needed one of, if not the greatest, relay performance of all time to beat the French in the vaunted world sprint battle that is the 4x100 relay. This year, France looks locked and loaded again, with 4 of the top 6 100 freestylers in the world. The only possible chink in the armor I can see is Amaury Leveaux, who despite a time of 47.7 at French trials and an earlier year SCM world record of 44.9, seems to be in a bit of a funk and a little psyched out by "the suits". The Aussies return all the members of a bronze medal winning relay, but its unclear whether Eamon Sullivan can still give them an ace in the hole after recovering from another surgery. Meanwhile, the US still has every piece but Lezak intact: Phelps, Weber-Gale and Jones. Matt Grevers looms as a solid replacement- will he continue to improve as he did last summer? Will one of either Nathan Adrian or Jimmy Feigen translate their impressive SCY swims to LCM this July? In order to think about winning gold or medaling individually in this event, the US will need to find a sprinter besides Lezak that is capable of going below 47.5. The current best times of the above mentioned swimmers are: Adrian: 48.46 Feigen: 49.77 Jones: 48.35 Weber-Gale: 47.78 Grevers: 48.53 2. Who will emerge as the top US male breaststroker? Where have you gone Brendan Hansen? Although Brendan had an off meet at the Beijing Olympics, he was generally a lock to medal and push the American medley relay ahead for good. So far this summer, Eric Shanteau has been the most impressive American male. We didn't see the best of Eric at last summer's olympics as he battled testicular cancer. Mark Gangloff is the other mainstay, as reliable as Hansen but not as fast. Neither swimmer has broken 1:00, the new standard for international competitiveness. Meanwhile, Scott Spann did make a solid showing at Santa Clara with 1:02/2:16, but will have to be better than last summer, no sure thing given his long recovery from knee problems. Lastly, can Sean Mahoney make the leap in the 200 breast? Lets hope so. 3. Is the women's IM field more wide open than we think? Again, Katie Hoff has pretty much been a lock here for the last few years. But this summer, she has struggled a little after her layoff. We won't know for sure what her form is until the start of the meet. Elizabeth Beisel, coming off a dramatic improvement last year in the 400 IM, looks equally as strong this summer. Everyone knows about Dagny Knutson, who will be vying for her first spot on an international senior team. However, Ariana Kukors has been flying under the radar this summer, if you can call 2:10 and 4:38 flying under the radar. Kukors was just one stroke away from making Beijing in the 200 IM, and seems to have continued to improve. In any case, these swimmers will likely have to break 2:10 and 4:30 to medal in this event in Rome, so all have some drops to make in the next month. I guess we'll see in Indy. Chris_desantis http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/7701-world-champs-trials-preview Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:34:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/FluidG/7700-michael-vs-usain-round-2-happy-birthday-michael Round 1: I defended the validity of spreading the athletic achievement awards around, recognizing barrier-shattering performances—even in the shadow of Phelps. After Bolt first set the 100m WR at 9.72, a bewildered Tyson Gay remarked that he realized he would have to run 9.6 to capture the record for himself. Still trying to figure out how to do that, now it looks like he'll have to drop down below 9.6 to achieve his goal. Still, the AOTY award is not the ultimate prize. Round 2:In my opinion, Michael's achievement in Beijing's WaterCube dwarfs Usain Bolt's incredible flights around the Bird's Nest. It's not even a contest. Bolt's was a spike, an astounding but singular peak performance. He's flat out amazing—owner of the greatest sprint performances of all time—but we'll have to wait to see what else Bolt does in the future before we really know who he is. He's not the greatest Olympian yet. That title belongs to Michael. It is conceivable that Usain could eventually catch up with Michael, but it's going to take a lot of medals and WRs to do it. Even with a third premiere event, the 400m, it's hard to imagine how Usain could ever catch him without track's "glam-factor" multiplier. It appears almost inevitable that Usain will soon add the 400m to his menu and feast on the field and the record book in that distance too. When that happens, Usain Bolt will have his Rushmore status. Michael already has Rushmore status. It's worthwhile to make a quick review of Michael's portfolio. What Michael did in each of his three Olympic appearances is astonishing, each setting precedents, each precedent light-years beyond the previous. Michael's resume' is a list of first firsts. They've even had to invent some new categories to chart his achievements. Most mosts—ever. Usain? Not yet. Just an inexperienced kid of barely 15 going into Sydney, Phelps emerged as a world contender in the 200m fly, one of the sport's "baddest badass" events. Breezing through his preliminary races, the young rookie won his preliminary heat (3rd overall), finished 4th overall in the semis, and placed a close 5th among wall-to-wall veterans in his first Olympic final. Defending champion, Denis Pankratov (b74), at the time the only man not named Mark Spitz to sweep the Olympic fly golds (:52.27WR - 1:56.51), swam in lane 8. Tom Malchow, the reining world champion and world record holder, swam in lane 4. Was the kid intimidated? Hardly. After trailing in last place for the first 150 meters, Michael turned on his signature after-burners and made up a full body length on the entire field on the last 50. At the finish, he was back in contention, just missing the bronze at the touch. Suddenly, Michael was a fast-moving flash on the world swimming radar screen. The kid was as fearless as he was talented. Sure enough, a few months later at the 2001 U.S. spring nationals, at age 15, he became the youngest world-record holder in men’s swimming history when he posted 1 min 54.92 sec in the 200-meter butterfly.Because I don't have all day to write this, I'll skip over the achievements Michael racked up between Olympic years. I also wrote about his courage in Athens in a previous blog (Phelps Phan), so I'll skip that astonishing opus as well. Skipping forward to Beijing, eight years and 8 Athens medals later, Michael added 8 more to his tally. Notably, Michael (with the miraculous performances of his stellar relay teammates) tied the nation of Italy and out-medalled all but 8 countries including France, Spain, Canada, and....Jamaica! Speaking of Jamaica, to compare Michael to Usain, let's look at the technical skill, training, conditioning, mastery, and versatility each athlete demonstrated. After his first race in Beijing, the grueling 400 IM, Michael won this matchup, hands down. Swimming vs Running in these terms is no contest. Sure, there's technique in running, especially in the sprints, but nothing compared to what it takes to master a single stroke in swimming, let alone all four. In terms of pure technical difficulty, the 100m Dash doesn't compare to even the 50m Free, much less an IM event. The 400 IM is the decathlon of swimming. Tom Dolan always liked to say he was the greatest swimmer when he owned the IM's. Tough to argue with that. Michael not only took charge of the swimming quadrathlon, he assumed ownership of swimming's other "strongest man" events in two different strokes, while threatening a third. In the IMs in Beijing, Phelps pulled away in the breaststroke against the fastest IMer/breaststrokers ever. Ryan Lochte swims :53+ SCY—unrested. Laslo Cseh has been 2:14.1 in the 200 breaststroke LCM. Breaststrokers should be relieved that Michael has his hands (and schedule) full with the other 3 strokes. If Phelps decides to focus on breaststroke, he'll take the record to 2:05 immediately, and probably down to 2:00 before he was through with it. Who knows? Maybe he really will add breaststroke as he looks for new challenges and shorter races. I definitely can see Michael swimming :58 in the 100 if he puts his mind to it. So, back to Beijing, Michael's 400IM alone soundly beat Usain's 100m and 200m sprints, and Michael hadn't even gotten warmed up. The true measure of what Michael did to collect another 7 gold medals over the next week has never been taken. He sustained world record quality performances every day during a week-long test of strength and endurance that no one else can even attempt. Physically, it was like a week of Tour de France time trials, each presenting a different challenge, each completed in world record time. Michael not only endured a marathon of sprints and marathons that could only be attempted by a person with extraordinary mental and physical strength and perfect technique, he managed his energy and emotions while his every move was scrutinized and recorded by the world press. Hey, no pressure. He not only endured; he conquered. And he did this against what is by far the fastest and deepest competition in the history of the sport. In his career so far, Michael has already faced a complete Hall of Fame—all of them at their peaks. The great Thorpe? Vanquished. van den Hoogenband? Gone. Michael even has the ability to challenge Aaron Peirsol, the undisputed greatest backstroker in history, in an "off" event, and does so regularly. Usain can't say that. It's not like he beat Michael Johnson head to head at the Olympics. Usain faced a depleted field. Michael is by far the greatest swimmer ever. Yet, it's not like there is no one close to his physical ability. Both Lochte and Cseh are probably just as skilled and physically gifted. But they are following in his wake, almost pulled along by Phelps. Without Phelps, those guys probably wouldn't be operating in the stratosphere they're in. Michael created that space. His performances remove barriers for those guys—and change them for everyone else. There's only one barrier no one can break—Michael himself. Michael's mental strength and his lion heart are equal to his physical ability. Because of this extraordinary combination of two extraordinary strengths, Phelps has thrust the sport into uncharted realms—into a premature future—single-handedly. The main reason that the world rankings look so different than they did 8 years ago is Michael Phelps. To match that, Bolt still has some work to do, but he could do the same thing to track. To do it, he'll need to stay on top for at least a generation, like Phelps. One outrageous performance does not redefine a sport. Bob Beamon's 29 foot leap didn't elevate the performances of all jumpers. It took decades to catch up to that spike, that anomaly. If Beamon had been able to regularly repeat that performance and surpass it at another Olympics or two, he probably would have had a few jumpers breathing down his neck by then, and 30'+ leaps would be commonplace now. But Beamon wasn't Phelps. So, we'll have to wait to see how long and how often Bolt can strike. Meanwhile, Michael will just keep pulling farther ahead, beyond the horizon. Phelps vs Bolt?Michael Phelps by KO Happy Birthday, Michael! FluidG http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/FluidG/7700-michael-vs-usain-round-2-happy-birthday-michael Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:08:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/FluidG/7630-michael-vs-usain 2008 Athlete of the Year Award I just watched a replay of Usain Bolt in Beijing, and it is obvious why he won out over Phelps. Usain Bolt won the award for two reasons. First, head to head, all things equal, track wins out over swimming. Sorry swimmers, but for all the attention heaped on it every 4 years, swimming is not on the top of the Olympic pyramid. Running is the most fundamental and universal measure of human athletic performance. Swimming is a second order skill, valuable, but not essential, a specialty. It ranks above, say, golf, cycling, or pole vaulting, on the primal or fundamental scale, but running, especially sprinting, rules. 50 meter Freestyle vs 100 meter dash? Sorry, no contest. Second, is the sheer magnitude of Bolt's performance. He exceeded all previous Olympic track history, not just by a little bit, but by leaps and bounds. He was all alone, waaaaay out front, in both the 100 and 200 meters, the most widely anticipated races in the world of sports. His performances obliterated the two most coveted and revered world records in Olympic sports. Bolt looked like a different species—taller, swifter, a man among boys—as he toyed with the pack that struggled to stay on the tv screen with him. Neither event was even a race. And throw in the 4x100 meter relay WR for good measure. Bolt reset the Richter scale of running. Everything has to be re-calibrated after his shock wave rattled the record book. So Bolt was absolutely deserving of the 2008 Athlete of the Year Award. Michael will get all the recognition he deserves in the Olympic Pantheon. The two athletes' achievements are ultimately difficult to compare. Michael's achievement is broader, wider, deeper. Almost methodically, Michael is creating an ongoing masterpiece, his life's work, which casts a much larger shadow across Olympic history. Usain's performance is more stunning, flamboyant, momentary. It is right to distribute the awards and recognition and not let one athlete's achievement blot out all others. Think of it like Usain walking away with the game MVP trophy, while Michael takes home the Championship trophy (again). As absurd as it may be, there are actually some people in the swimming "leadership" who have asserted that Michael (and, by extension, the sport of swimming) were robbed of the 2008 Athlete of the Year Award because "the suits" somehow diminished his achievement in the eyes of the press. What an obtuse analysis that has nothing to do with reality. Do these people actually follow sports, or just broadcast opinions from a fluorescent lit office cubicle? They are looking for someone or something to blame. But there is no injustice here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qslbf8L9nl0 FluidG http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/FluidG/7630-michael-vs-usain Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:08:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/7622-heading-south "I'm a ramblin wreck from Georgia Tech, and a hell of an engineer" Those are the words to a fight song I'm sure to become very familiar with. This is a blog I've been dying to write for two weeks, ever since I accepted an offer to pack up my life and move down to Atlanta. I didn't hesitate for a second. In the meantime, my life has been a whirlwind. So many people helped me along the way and I felt like calling them all to thank them. By the end of the second day, I had newfound respect for anyone that works in a call center. Between those calls and finding a place to live (although I had an inhuman amount of help there), I had a hard time catching my breath. But I'm also tremendously excited. I had first considered the possibility of trying to work at Georgia Tech back in March, when Stu Wilson resigned. Interest turned to doubt, and I found myself questioning whether it was really a situation I wanted to step into. Of course, there was only one way to find out. At every turn, my doubts were answered and my excitement built. When Courtney Shealy Hart was named head coach, my mentor Bob Groseth told me to seize the opportunity and call her. I have a few personal rules: one of them is to trust Bob. I put in the call. If you've been following the blog for the past few months, you know that I wrote a blog earlier in the spring about the gender demographics of college coaching. One thing I noticed: no female coaches of combined programs in the ACC, Big 10, SEC or Pac-10, generally accepted as the four fastest conferences in Division 1 swimming. In that way Courtney is a trail blazer. Meeting her should've been intimidating: she warned me beforehand of her height (6'3) and I had a vivid memory of cheering for her on the 4x100 Freestyle relay at the Sydney Olympics. Only it wasn't. By the time I set foot in Atlanta, I felt like almost like we were old friends. So what else am I excited about? How about coaching practice at the 1996 Olympic pool? I'm thinking of seeing if Fred Deburghraeve has any eligibility left to see if he can conjure up some of that old breaststroke magic. I'm excited to be in a place that clearly values their swimming program from the administration on down. I'm excited about how crazy organized my boss is: I walked into my office yesterday and found a computer totally set up, business cards printed and a phone synced to my e-mail. Oh, and I'm excited for the free lunch. Chris_desantis http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/7622-heading-south Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:16:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Thescreamingviking/7605-a-conversation-with-ginny-fuldner Don’t know who Ginny Fuldner is?… If you are into swimming history, you might know her better as Virginia Duenkel, a former world record holder and multiple medalist at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. I have had the honor of getting to see Ginny in action for the last twelve years as a coach in our local summer league. She is one of those rare people you meet in swimming whose love for the sport and love for the way swimming can help raise kids to become good people shines through in everything she does. It is not every day you get to chat with someone who has a pool named after her. In all the time I have known Ginny, she never once brought up her Olympic history. In this vid, you will hear the story she told me the day I finally brought it up myself… and you will also hear how this video interview might be getting her into trouble when she gets home after the meet. Sorry Ginny! I didn’t ask Ginny for this interview to ask her any of the hard questions. What I was really hoping is that floswimming fans would consider this a treat, and could get a small taste of what it has been like to be friends with one of the darlings of Olympic swimming history. It was nice to sit down with her and just have a conversation about something we both like to talk about: all of the different ways we can fall in love with competitive swimming and appreciate our time spent hanging out at the pool. To read a great article about Ginny at age 15, click here.You can also check out the uncut version of the interview at swimviking.blogspot.com Thescreamingviking http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Thescreamingviking/7605-a-conversation-with-ginny-fuldner Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:15:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Thescreamingviking/7525-big-suit-meeting-today Swimnews is reporting that today is the day that all the swimsuit companies get their “15 minutes” to plead their cases to FINA about why their suit should make the final approved list for this long course season. To quote Craig Lord:“For now, more certain is that there will be some uncomfortable moments in Lausanne today; for FINA, for the independent testing team and for suit makers. Feelings boil down to the question of whether it is fair to have left the Speedo LZR and other 2008-09 non-textile apparel in the water when they clearly enhance performance but then cut out things such as the Jaked01 and arena X-Glide when they also enhance performance, if not in a quantifiable way then surely in a significant and undeniable fashion.” Yeah, I’d say it will be uncomfortable. I can only hope that John Leonard isn’t the one trying to give the suit companies an explanation for drawing their imaginary line at the LZR. The lawyers will eat him alive. In his interview with Garrett at floswim he danced around the answers to the hard questions better than the zombies in the Thriller video. He is on the FINA suit commission and could not give any clue of the testing procedure that got suits taken off of the unapproved list. He made it clear that he knows nothing about the testing. He didn’t even get the head of the testing team’s name right! What’s worse is that he then went on a spiel about air trapping being an issue since 2000 and pointed at the “silver” sheen when someone jumps in the pool with a dry FS1, which is on the FINA approved list. How can you admit that other suits trap air too, but then give no reason for drawing the line where you did? If permeability is not to be addressed until January, there is no justifiable reason to have made the decisions that were made. The whole point of forming the commission was so that we could have an open scientific process through which to make a fair decision. Way to go, guys. When the buoyancy and thickness standards were printed, I honestly thought the list was going to allow all current tech… and just like I and so many others predicted, current tech met those standards. When the Arena X-glide debuted, it had not yet been approved by FINA. I could almost hear the defeat in Alan Thompson’s voice when he was quoted as saying this regarding Alain Bernard’s 100m free record set in that unapproved suit: “The procedure has been very open, all the manufacturers know what tests will be done, and I doubt that any major manufacturer would submit a suit that wouldn't get through the process.” How then, did we get to where we are? It looks to me like hiring Prof. Manson was just for show. They “carefully” added the word “may” to the required specs for suit companies to follow so that they can take the scientific stats and throw them out the window if needed and disqualify any suits they see fit. How are they gonna explain that to Blueseventy’s lawyers? Hopefully better than John Leonard explained it to us. This meeting is gonna be a zoo. Thescreamingviking http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Thescreamingviking/7525-big-suit-meeting-today Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:12:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/FluidG/7536-technology-and-rules technological History As the growing swim suit controversy so clearly illustrates, one of the most complex and challenging issues that FINA faces is how to absorb and regulate new technologies. The last thing that any sport wants to do is stifle its own evolution. A frozen sport is a dead sport—irrelevant, soon abandoned and forgotten. Each sport has a responsibility to manage its own evolution under a coherent structure. As humans, we are programmed to explore frontiers and advance our means and abilities. In a very real way, that is what competition and records are all about: measuring progress. It is tempting to only recognize the human part of swimming's evolution and attribute the progression of times solely to the hard work and talent of individuals. But when someone declares that swimming is about the swimmers and not the suits, besides giving the suits far more credit than they deserve, they are forgetting that performance is also shaped by anti-wave lane lines, wave-eating gutters, strategic pool depths and geometries, lighting, starting blocks, air quality, temperature, goggles, and a host of other variables that affect "human" performance in a very direct way. No two pools are identical, and state-of-the-art pools in no way resemble the facilities of, say, the 1960's. Obviously, swimming enjoys a robust tradition of embracing technological innovation. Luddites notwithstanding, no one would seriously advocate a return to the antiquated technological standards of the last century. This brief inventory of technological innovations, which together radically alter the attainable level of performance, does not even include the myriad other real and shifting influences like changing stroke rules, economic advantage, diet, training methods, and cultural biases. Yet when one more step is made in a 100 year long history of material evolution, the reaction is hysteria. the Rule Makers Swimming is facing a crisis—one of its own making. At the moment, the real threat to the integrity of the sport is not the introduction of new suit technologies: it is in the chaotic vocal response of its internal critics and the inability of its leadership to manage its own evolution. The rule making process is obviously corrupt and unduly influenced by the dominant manufacturer. What could be a greater threat to the integrity of the sport than that? Watching the sport self-destruct over an issue like the suits at the precise moment when swimming is getting worldwide exposure reminds one of an autoimmune system gone awry and attacking itself. What is lacking in the regulation process is a sound, philosophical basis for defining rules that deal with new technologies, in other words, the future. The Rules Committee may not be prepared to truly appreciate and understand the underlying issues they are facing. Without an established, clear but flexible philosophical structure, the members of the Rules Committee are ill-equipped to deal with the nuance and complexity of the issues they are charged with legislating. Right now, FINA is reacting as issues and problems arise. This method of management can only respond to the tiny visible portion of the iceberg, while the enormous underlying issues—the real source of the problems—remain unaddressed and unresolved. As the past year so clearly demonstrates, an ad hoc, shoot-from-the-hip approach to rule-making is disastrous. Traveling further down that path with the same murky strategy could leave a permanent stain on the sport's legacy. By the time the mess is cleaned up, the record book will be a meaningless collection of asterisks. In order to right the ship and prevent future conflict, FINA needs to invest some energy in creating a constitution, a set of principles that offer guidance when this and future generations face difficult decisions. FluidG http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/FluidG/7536-technology-and-rules Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:12:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/FluidG/7475-missed-opportunities Last night, when I got back home from the Sr. Circuit meet in Austin, I was flipping through the channels and stumbled onto the Santa Clara meet on Universal. After enduring a marathon of 6 sessions at the Texas Swim Center, the last thing I wanted to watch was more swimming. But before I could change the channel, Michael Phelps walked out for one of his finals. Man, it's hard to change the channel when Michael's on TV. I couldn't look away. Behind him, the Santa Clara pool stadium was packed with people—no, not just people—people going crazy, thrilled fans lined up in a cheering chorus. Reminds me a little bit of Beatlemania. Word had spread that Michael was in town and the place instantly filled up. I kept watching and I got to see Brent Hayden flex his muscles in Michael's face after out-touching him in the 100 free. Hayden, the defending world champ, had every reason to be excited, but Rowdy made a great analogy when he compared the gesture to a baseball hitter fist-pumping while rounding the bases after a home run—in a pre-season game. Hilarious. Rowdy nailed it without being disrespectful to Hayden. He sounded almost protective of Hayden when he said he probably already regretted getting carried away, and pointed out that Michael always "remembers" (...like that kid who had teased him mercilessly years earlier). People on that "remember" list haven't fared too well. The real point here is that this is compelling stuff. I thought I had to wait for the Tour de France or a tennis major final to find this kind of drama. Swimming has it—It has it and DOESN"T DO ENOUGH WITH IT. After Phelps was off the screen, I kept watching because Coventry was swimming fast and I wanted to see how Scott Spann is doing. I started feeling like one of those football or basketball coaches who stay up watching film. I wanted to watch it. When I look at the semi-delirious crowds in Santa Clara, I just think what a huge missed opportunity the Texas Sr. Circuit meets have been. I'm pretty sure people will come out in droves to see Dara Torres and Aaron Peirsol if they know they are "in town". Two weeks ago, the people at Texas A&M got treated to two American records by one of sport's superstars. Like Michael, Dara is on every A-List. I'll bet the place was nearly empty. There is no excuse for allowing that to happen. Peirsol swam two excellent finals on Sunday night, showcasing his versatility throughout the meet, but if it wasn't for the swim camp kids in the stands, the place would have been almost empty. Apparently, there was no local publicity effort at all for this meet. I'm pretty sure Austin is an ideal market for athletes like Dara and Aaron. Uh, doesn't Lance live there? There is a failure of the imagination here of colossal proportions. If USA Swimming, or even local level organizations, did just a tiny bit of imaginative advertising, the Texas Swim Center would be filled to the rafters with fans thrilled to get a glimpse of Dara. They'd know they might get to witness an American record any time she swims. If you can't market THAT, I'm sorry, but you should consider a different line of work. You don't even need clever advertising to get a capacity crowd to see Michael—just people "catching wind" that he's in town is enough. Add to Dara another superstar, Aaron Peirsol; rising superstar, Jimmy Feigen (who went sub-50 for the first time); star of the "2008 Relay Massacre", Garrett Webber-Gale; Head Coach Eddie Reese; and too many other star-quality swimmers to mention, and you've got serious drawing power. Then add to the list the next generation of 14 year olds, like Gray Umbach, who demolished Phelps' 13-14 200 IM record this year, and William Licon, who laid down an astonishing 2:09.4 200 IM. Maybe Michael's not in Austin, but the next best thing is watching the 14 year-old kids who are breaking his records. Imagine some kid coming along right behind Tiger Woods, breaking all of his childhood records. If you can't sell that, I'm sorry, but you need to rethink your career path. If you just turned few of the images from this website (which features beautiful photography and graphics, btw) into a few print ads and billboards, the TSC would be full whenever these stars are in the pool. Then, when Michael comes to town, you'd be ready. The suit fiasco is only a minor symptom of a much larger FINA/USA Swimming problem: being utterly unprepared to take swimming to the next level when the opportunity arrived. Anyone who claims they can be excused for not seeing this one coming (as they plead in their mishandling of suit evolution) is not in touch with reality. Wasn't Michael the youngest American male Olympian swimmer ever in 2000 when he breezed to the 200 fly final at 15? If that wasn't enough, he took home 6 golds and change from Athens, doing it with unparalleled grace and style. (see "Phelps Phan" blog). Then he would have won a record 8 golds at the World Championships if not for a relay disqualification. Swimming has blown it before. Beatlemania—I mean Phelpsmania—won't last forever. Opportunities like this come along less than once in a lifetime. The last time that swimming had an opportunity remotely like this was when Mark Spitz became a legend in 1972 and quickly earned the label "un-telegenic". Growing up, everyone wanted to drive like Mario Andretti and swim like Mark Spitz. Spitz is the very definition of an icon. His was one of those transcendent moments in sports history, an achievement above any in cycling, golf, football, track—you name it. But Spitz was completely mishandled and the opportunity to capitalize on his historic stature went by the wayside. I don't know if the AAU (or whoever it was who ran the American Olympic Team back then) was responsible for swimming's pubic relations, but Mark Spitz unfairly took the blame when his career as a media star faltered. They always say that they couldn't market him because of his awkwardness in front of the camera—that he wasn't a good actor and didn't do well when he got his shot. So, the "Mark Spitz" brand was never tapped—except maybe in a small way by Speedo. Mark Spitz is a handsome guy and extremely photogenic, with all the potential in the world. Whoever was behind the marketing of Mark Spitz totally blew it. And American swimming didn't do much of anything with his potential as a vehicle for the sport either. It's a shame, to say the least, because now he comes across as very good, even charismatic, on screen, and he couldn't have handled a complicated situation more gracefully when Michael broke his record. I truly believe that if Spitz' media image had been handled the right way from the beginning, he would have been loved and drawn crowds his entire life. Now Spitz has been surpassed. Michael didn't just inch past him: He blew by like a 2008 Indy car blowing by a 1972 model. We should realize that and take measure. If you can't market THAT, you belong in a different profession. Phelps surpassed Spitz both in and out of the pool, during and after the Olympics. Michael is extremely marketable, just likable and humble, a lovable hero (unlike Kobe, for example). He's articulate enough to express himself well, but doesn't wander afield his areas of knowledge. Despite being a little rough around the edges, it was easy to enjoy Michael's Saturday Night Live appearance, partly because of his self-effacing disposition and the fact that lots of people who host that show are not actors. He wasn't supposed to be a good actor, just a good entertainer—and he was. Now that he has some experience under his belt, he's good as an actor too. Michael will be fine. It's the sport's ability to capitalize on the moment that I'm concerned about. FluidG http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/FluidG/7475-missed-opportunities Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:20:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Clbrammer/7443-buoyancy FINA has yet to provide any sound reasoning as to why some suits are banned and others are not. Where in the manufacturing of suits is the line drawn and what exactly does that line differentiate? BlueSeventy suits "may trap air when worn by a swimmer" and that is why they are banned? Well they may not. Does this mean that for all of the suits that were approved this air trapping effect has been ruled out? I cannot fathom how they were able to quantify this “air trapping” as it is surely dependent on the shape, texture, and position of the swimmer in addition to the permeability of the suit material. The issue of permeability has been put off until later, as John Leonard stated in his interview with GM. How then, knowing for sure that the LZR and others do not trap air and not knowing of the suit’s permeability, did FINA create this list of banned suits? Buoyancy is one variable that Professor Hanson ..err Manson has supposedly measured and is at the center of recent discussion. Therefore, I wish to define buoyancy and discuss some of the issues that FINA and the independent research group hired to evaluate the suits are faced. Buoyancy is only part of what makes an object float or sink in a fluid. Buoyancy is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by a submerged object, and is proportional to the object’s volume. However, it is the summation of an object’s weight (downward force) and it’s buoyancy (upward force) that determines if it will sink or float. An object that is completely submerged in water will float if it’s dry weight is less than it’s buoyancy and, alternatively, an object will sink if it’s weight is greater than its buoyancy. To put it in other terms, if an object’s weight to volume ratio (it’s density) is less than the density of the fluid in which it is submerged, then the object will float. If we wish to decrease our density relative to the fluid to improve “floatability” then we can decrease our weight, increase our volume, or some combination of both. For example, a lean-bodied swimmer who normally sinks needs only to take a big breath of air (thus increasing volume and decreasing density below that of the water) and he/she will float. In the case of suits, if the density of the swim suit is less than the density of the swimmer, then the density of suit+swimmer will be less than the swimmer alone and he or she will have a larger buoyancy. The increase in buoyancy can work to make a swimmer sink less or float more depending on their individual body density. The problem is that the greater difference in density the suit is compared to the swimmer, the more relative effect it will have. In other words, although a given suit will increase buoyancy the same amount for everyone, the effect of this change on “floatability” will be different depending on the individual’s initial density. FINA states that a “swimsuit shall not have a buoyancy effect of more than 1 Newton (100g).” What does this mean exactly and why 1 Newton? Is it that a suit (by itself) shall not have buoyancy greater than 100g?If that is the case, then a suit measured to have a volume of 100ml will also have a buoyancy of 100g and the majority of our suits would not be compliant. Is it that a suit alone shall not have a net upward force (downward weight plus upward buoyancy) of 100g? I interpret FINA’s rule to mean a suit when worn by a swimmer shall not cause a net increase in upward force more than 1 Newton (100g). But as I said above, just because a suit increases buoyancy 100g for all who wear it, that does not mean that each swimmer enjoys the same effect. So how has Professor Manson proposed to address this issue? In addition to an unequal effect on “floatability”, where this additional buoyancy is acting on the swimmer is also of concern. If the resultant buoyancy does not act through the swimmer’s center of mass, then the body begins to rotate. In a typical swimmer, resultant buoyancy is directed closer to the head than the center of mass (through which the subject’s weight acts). This torque causes the body to rotate in the direction of the feet toward the pool’s floor. The greater distance between the downward force of weight and upward force of buoyancy, the faster the body will tend to rotate. If we were able to shift the resultant buoyancy closer to the center of mass (perhaps with a leg suit of low density), then the effect would be a slower sinking of the legs and improved body position (less energy is required of the swimmer to keep his legs up). The problem here is that it is entirely possible that these new swim suits do not result in a net upward force (and therefore pass the 1 Newton test) but may shift the resultant buoyancy closer to the center of mass with the effect of decreasing leg rotation toward the pool’s floor. How can we account for this? The independent research group hired to evaluate the suits have yet to disclose their results and, perhaps more importantly, their methodology. When (or if) this occurs we may gain greater insight as to how a suit is or is not approved. However, buoyancy is not the only variable of concern as I have yet to mention about material permeability to air and water, both of which have the potential to affect performance. Further, the variables of resistance, compression, and body alignment, among others, have been identified as potential players in the task of swim suit evaluation. Some would say the enormous task FINA faces is of their own doing, but it is too late to point fingers. We cannot change the past. We must now focus on gathering as much information on the What and How of tech-suits so that we may make reasoned decisions for the future. Clbrammer http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Clbrammer/7443-buoyancy Sat, 13 Jun 2009 21:21:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/7404-record-stories Records are receiving more talk than ever it seems. When I started this blog, I revelled in the chance to discuss a new record in all its glory and talk about the ones that have come before. However, there is one record that has been discussed ad nauseam over the last year that always made me pretty uncomfortable: Alexander Popov's 50 free world record. I'm definitely not even close to the first person to bring it up. It gets cited over and over again by people who bemoan the effect of suits on world bests. However, before Popov's record stood in rarefied air, it was the subject of much complaint. Here's the best, old grainy video I could find of the swim on youtube: At first glance, this is pretty awesome. Alex Popov swims a 21.64 in the 50 free swimming in a brief with no cap. I was a huge fan of Popov growing up- I preferred his silent, aloof style to his ever boisterous foil Gary Hall Jr. His stroke was a thing of beauty- something swim coaches talk to each other about in hushed tones. It was entirely contrary to what people expected from a sprinter at that time. Rather than turn it over with everything he had, Popov swam a long, efficient stroke that he had drilled incessantly with his coach Gennadi Touretski. I started to grow uncomfortable when Hall started running his mouth off about this swim. I was uncomfortable because he was speaking the truth. For one thing, Popov completed this swim without any swimmers in the lane next to him. Anyone in swimming can tell you the advantage, particularly in a sprint, of not having to deal with someone else's wake. The other accusation made- that Popov had been allowed a rolling start by Russian officials, was much harder to prove. After all, the only people that know for sure that the start was legal are the swimmers and officials at the race. I attempted to break it down like the JFK Zapruder film and discern whether Popov had been granted a false start. Here is what I found: 1. If you freeze the Popov video at 1.3 seconds- which from watching the end of the video we know is in fact synched with the actual running clock in the race- he has completed the following in 1.3 seconds: a. reacted to the start b. dove off the blocks c. spent some time in the air d. had his entire body enter the water. 2. For comparison's sake, I broke out the higher quality video of Freddy going 20.9: If you try to match up the Popov position to the 1.3 to where Freddy is at 1.3, Freddy still has some limbs still clearly sticking out of the water, and doesn't go fully submerged until conservatively 1.5-1.6. Now, flight times in the air vary from swimmer to swimmer. However, Popov used a two footed start- which meant more time in the air. Just watch how much longer it takes Popov to get in the water in comparison to his heat at World Championships in 2003: In that video his entire lower half is still out of the water at 1.3! And he did not have a bad start- he ended up winning the event that day in 48.4 What does it all mean? Not much. Popov was one of the greatest sprint freestylers- perhaps THE greatest of all time. And this record was ratified by FINA- so it must be pretty legit. Chris_desantis http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/7404-record-stories Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:10:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/7366-odds-and-ends I know I've been missing a lot lately. I have to say I've been putting some of my writing energy to the rapidly approaching personal deadlines I've set for writing my thesis and completing my masters. But that's not really an excuse. I haven't written much lately because I haven't felt a whole lot to write about. We're in a bit of a summer lull: one month from our World Championship Trials, just 7 weeks out from Worlds themselves, and the whole world except for us seems to be laying in wait. So how about some odds and ends? Cool? Cool. 1. Ryosuke Irie: Remember when I wrote that blog saying watch out for this guy at Worlds this summer? And then he broke the world record in the 200 back by over a second, but then FINA decided they wouldn't approve the record, but Japan will approve it as a national record. Oh yeah, and then he donned some approved swimwear and recorded the second fasted 200 back in history (1:54.0). There's been a lot to keep up with here. I would say I feel vindicated except for the fact that this guy still has to show he can come up big against the world's best in Rome. Also, Craig Lord is about 2 months behind me in reporting on Irie's piano playing skills. Oh, you thought I could make it through a blog without giving Craig a hard time? Shame on you! 2. That was the least of Craig's worries though. He made a couple other statements that drew my attention. In this article he made the sweeping generalization that the current FINA suit buoyancy standards are "widely regarded as lenient" as just another not to subtle dig at blueseventy in "reporting" on their lawsuit of FINA. He also quoted in another article FINA Executive Director Cornel Marculescu as referring to "the suits" as a "cancer". Somehow, every other reporter in Switzerland for the most recent FINA meetings missed this but Craig. I enjoy reading Craig the same way I enjoy watching Fox News' Bill O'Reilly with my with borderline communistic political leanings. I feel like outlets balance each other out. If Craig is Bill O'Reilly, then I guess me and the Viking must be some anchors from MSNBC. Does that mean I have to fight with the Viking over who gets to be Keith Olbermann and who gets to be Rachel Maddow? Ok fine, I'll be Maddow- we have the same haircut anyway. Oh by the way, if you want to read a much more thorough and well-reasoned refutation of the propoganda that Craig has been mass producing for over a year, head on over to this article written by one of my favorite masters swimmers, David Guthrie. 3. By the way, if you missed the coverage this weekend, shame on you! Seriously, we've all been spoiled by the access we now get to American swimming stars. This weekend, we had a chance to get some our only glimpses at some of the best athletes down under out in Tucson. We got real, honest insight into two of the best female swimmers in the world: Stephanie Rice and Leisel Jones. Plus we got Stephanie's coach, Michael Bohl, and Ashley Delaney. Its hard for me to not be excited about this, and yet I felt like I could hear the crickets on this site. I know only one solution to this: switch to full-time coverage of a semi-nude Federica Pellegrini. Chris_desantis http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/7366-odds-and-ends Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:14:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Tremstal/7339-get-up-stand-up A wise man told me that the only things that has-beens have left are words… to that I heard the response: all that the never-weres have left are blogs...That said, I love what Floswimming has done to the world of swimming information and I say that having positive relationships with others in the space who may or may not be Floswimming fans and having sat on the board of Swimnetwork LLC as an Ex-Officio member just 3 months ago. This site has provided a venue for a new depth of conversation and information in the sport of swimming.The video content that GMc puts up of workouts is second to none, having both the eye of a journalist and of a swimmer he has insight into what is really going on and what his viewership will find interesting. The interviews are likewise benefitted from Garrett’s background; one Olympic team coach from Beijing commented to me that his first interview by Garrett was the smartest one in which he’d ever participated. The themes found in the blogging on this and other sites, though, about tech suits, my very short-lived rebuke of college male’s possessive nature, Phelpsmania, and the fate of college swimming programs are all very much cliches of the blogosphere. Honestly all these words could just as easily be spent lamenting the changes to FB, discussing why Brody should be allowed to date LC’s friends, Patinsonmania or the fate of the arena football league. But they aren’t being wasted on that.Swimming matters to us in a way that pop culture items never should (though to some they do). Our sport has been a major influencer in each of our lives, helping to shape who we are today and who we will be tomorrow. So, when we see attacks being made on the fabric (no pun intended) of that which plays such a significant role in our development, it is only natural that we rally. We speak up. Some of us even blog. For 10 years I have served in one capacity or another within the governance of USA Swimming and since 2005 I have been a member of the USA Swimming Board of Directors, I bring it up because I have heard a lot of debates in those meetings and as I look at the writing on this site and others, I see the world shifting. More and more often the important matters are being profoundly probed on the net. What we are seeing is the court of public opinion becoming increasingly accessible (though often anonymous) with each passing day.When the International Relations Committee debated the FINA bibs 5 years ago, all I based my comments on were the opinions of my circle of friends and my own thoughts that bibs would be an infringement upon athlete’s rights. I said what I believed to be true and that was that. Going even further back, I sat on the Senior Swimming Committee as a high schooler, and was 1 of the 4 athletes in the room when we decided to recommend ending the Jr. Championship meet and replacing it with Sectionals. Clearly I didn’t talk about that one before it happened and subsequently I didn’t win many friends because of it. Not to say that blogs and digital communication solve all our problems. The most important element continues to be the need for smart, insightful discussion, in order to move forward. Technology has opened a door for representatives to be better informed of public opinion. Tim Liebhold (timswim) tweeted a couple days ago asking for National team and Pro swimmers to respond with what makes for the best training environment. He did this after talking with current Athlete Committee Chair Tyler Storie who wants to discuss this topic at the Athletes Executive Committee meeting in Santa Clara this weekend, as it pertains to elite training locations in the US. I am not sure of what sort of response Tim received but he opened up the topic to a broader audience and will therefore, I hope, better represent the thoughts, feelings and desires of this demographic in Santa Clara.What Tim and Tyler are doing is great, as they are asking for help, but what is also great is that no one has to wait to be asked any longer. You don’t have to be a superhero to have an influence. Even those of us who are has-beens or never-weres have a voice, so: blog, comment, tweet and FB, just don’t stop talking because if you do, the man wins, the status quo remains and you give your sport away. Tremstal http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Tremstal/7339-get-up-stand-up Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:11:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Thescreamingviking/7288-tech-suits-onion-style Speedo Initiates Sinister Phase Two of Global Marketing Plan The Screaming Viking! June 4, 2009ROME, ITALY-- Speedo Corporation, a subsidiary of Warnaco Group, Inc., has announced today at a press conference that they are initiating the second phase of their global marketing plan, “Operation Monopoly Man.” The announcement comes during a time of turmoil within the world of competitive swimming. The introduction of hundreds of swimsuits from various companies based on neoprene and other “non-permeable” fabrics has caused rifts between national swimming federations and has split the core demographic of the sport down the middle. On the one side, supporters of the new technology consider “technical suits” to be a natural part of the progression and advancement of the sport and liken it to advances in sneakers, tennis rackets and other such equipment in various mainstream sports. Those who resist consider the modern age of swim suits to be “technical doping” and are outraged that swimming’s international governing body, FINA, allowed them to enter the market without proper testing to determine whether they were performance enhancing or aid flotation, which would have rendered them immediately illegal.Phase one of Speedo’s plan involved the secret infiltration of political and corporate offices to broaden Speedo’s influence and gain support to place legislation on technical suits that is biased toward Speedo technology. An international commission of coaches met in May to determine the standards to which swimsuit companies must comply. That commission included several coaches who are employed by Speedo, which effectively meant that all suits submitted must meet Speedo criteria for competition. Once the legislation was passed in Laussane, Switzerland the door was opened to begin phase two operations which includes forced compliance of all nations to the FINA approved list and the demolition of several factories involved in the manufacturing of swimsuits for rival companies such as Blueseventy and Arena. Numerous suits from organizations such as these were left off of the list of approved suits, even after meeting the published standards set forth by the commission. This has caused many businesses to cry foul as they are pushed to the brink of bankruptcy over what has been called a subjective decision rather than one based on scientific evidence of performance enhancement.Speedo has already set troops, including a squadron of technologically advanced Michael Phelps clones, in place aboard aircraft carriers outside of Italian and Japanese cities awaiting orders to aggressively occupy major ports of interest should those nations continue to allow non-conforming swimsuit technology to be worn in competition or allow records set in such technology to stand. Head Coach for the United States Swimming and FINA commission member Mark Schubert released the following statement: “We are pleased to be able to finally restore the integrity of the sport of swimming and we are excited about the opportunity to be a part of the peace-keeping force that will maintain the new order. Swimming suit technology has gone too far. It is time for us to get back to our comfortable threshold of two percent performance enhancement. Anything beyond the regulated two percent will be met with swift military action.”Japan and Italy are currently in talks to reach a cease fire agreement before the upcoming World Championships in Rome. France is also in negotiations to free sprinters Fred Bousquet and Alain Bernard who were imprisoned with their reputations tarnished after they swam just too freakin’ fast at French Nationals in gear not approved by Speedo. Thescreamingviking http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Thescreamingviking/7288-tech-suits-onion-style Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:44:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/7159-resilience-other-people-matter This weekend, I attended the CSCAA (College Swim Coaches Association of America) conference in Chicago. The event was a great chance to catch up with friends and make new ones. Still, it reminded me of one last positive psychology blog I've been meaning to write. For this concept, I give all the credit to my professors Chris Peterson and Karen Reivich. Resilience was a theme of the weekend. Richard Quick was honored with the first ever lifetime achievement award given by the organization. That Richard is resliience is obvious: you only need to read one entry of his journal to find a wealth of evidence. But he is also evidence of a different definition. Ask any athlete to summon an image of resilience and they will come fast and furious. Some will pick Lance Armstrong pedaling with a grimace, or Jason Lezak's final lunging stroke this past summer. My personal favorite is Billy Mills: Do you know whats missing from those images? Every other person that made that possible. For Armstrong there was a wife and family that stuck with him through his most trying moments. Lezak's relay teammates come clearly into focus- for all the discussion of him training alone I am very sure that he doesn't live in total isolation. Billy Mills was an orphan- but you can't subtract his parents. Brett Hawke- there to accept the award in Richard's stead, echoed the sentiment. He made it clear that without Richard there is no Brett as we know him today. In introducing the award, one coach recalled the story of Richard's reaction to Ron Ballatore's first NCAA title at UCLA. Richard ran over to congratulate Ron- he was genuinely pleased and excited. Other people matter. Its a pretty obvious statement thats still worth saying. This weekend was a chance for college coaches to meet and be reminded. For me, it was a chance to see in person for the only time this year some other people that matter to me. I met Phil Whitten, my idol as swimming writer. George Kennedy, by whose hospitality I was able to come to the convention, was my roommate. Joel Shinofield and Bob Groseth- two coaches who have found time to mentor me over the phone- were there as well. The other coaches i met are too long to list. Brett told one final story about Richard in accepting the award. After Friday night when Auburn mounted a surge, he called to share the good news with Richard. One problem: Richard wasn't able to come to the phone. He had been on his hands and knees all day, wracked with pain and vomiting. Still, Richard had managed to smile for a few fleeting moments that day- once for each time his swimmers met the challenge in front of them. Other people matter. Chris_desantis http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/7159-resilience-other-people-matter Mon, 25 May 2009 08:08:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/FluidG/7540-in-defense-of-evolution Why the Revolution? Swimmers are getting faster. Lots of them. A quick review of the 2008 World Rankings boggles the mind, and 2009 is shaping up to be even faster and deeper. Clearly, swimming is in the midst of a revolution. Why the sudden change in the landscape of performance? Why do world records suddenly seem to fall with unprecedented regularity? This current evolutionary leap has many guardians of the sport confused and angry. They point to the new suits as the cause of the upheaval. "These suits are terrible for the sport!" they cry. "It's out of control. These performances are ruining the continuity and the integrity of the sport!" Times are supposed to get faster, but apparently, only at some preconceived rate established through the sport's own brief history. Whatever that gradual rate is supposed to be, according to whoever it is who gets to decide, the improvements over the past year exceeded it. But is this kind of evolutionary acceleration really unprecedented? Or is it just our misperception of our own history? It is true that this transformation coincides with the introduction of new suit technologies. But it is a common human mistake to see two simultaneous events and jump to conclusions about their connectedness, to see cause and effect where it doesn't necessarily exist. In the case of the current record book assault, alarmed coaches and officials have made the assumption that high-tech suits have distorted the playing field. Zeroing in on the suits tends to be self-reinforcing and ignores the many other developments that are, in fact, much more influential in the recent performance leaps. too Much Credit (or Blame) One American Olympic coach (and LZR advocate) recently lashed out at the polyurethane suits saying, "It's totally out of control. Now, we're into speedboat driving!" But the data says something different: The suits are getting far too much credit (or blame) for the recent leaps in performance. If the suits are ersatz speedboats, physics would say that the longer the race, the greater the advantage. So, why haven't distance records been smashed proportionately? The 1500 records should be at least 30 seconds to 1 minute faster if the boost from of the new suits is what the critics claim. But that expectation isn't supported by the data. An inventory of suit choices by male swimmers (almost all females wear full body suits for obvious reasons) in the 2008 Olympics reveals some interesting statistics. - In the men's 1500 free final, 7 out of 8 finalists wore full body suits, yet the world record was not threatened. - With the exception of the 50 and 100 freestyle, and 100 fly events, only about 25% of the male swimmers who qualified for the semis and finals in Beijing wore full body suits, and far fewer finished on the podium. In each of the men's breaststroke finals, for example, only 2 out of the 8 finalists opted to wear body suits. The vast majority wore leggings. - Notably, even in the events dominated by full body suits, the Gold Medalists of the 400 free and 100 fly wore leggings. - Wearing only leggings, breaststroke champion Kitajima swam within .13 of the WR he set earlier in the summer wearing a full body suit. - Michael Phelps wore leggings in 15 of his 17 races when he accomplished his historic feat (exceptions: 4x100 free relay and 200 free final). - Collectively in seven of the men's individual events—100 and 200 backstrokes, 100 and 200 breaststrokes, 200 and 400 IMs, and the 200 fly—the number of medalists who wore full body suits was a grand total of zero. Another revealing statistic is the sustained rate of improvement by the same swimmers one year after the latest generation of suits was introduced. Many elite swimmers are smashing their own PRs set a year ago wearing the same suits. How do the suit critics account for this widespread, sustained improvement? In fact, at the Beijing Games, some swimmers wore multiple suits, layering them in an attempt to gain an advantage, an ethically questionable practice no longer allowed. Based on this rule change, times should be getting slower, not faster. Furthermore, if the performance boost from these suits is anything approaching what their opponents claim, the fact that several active world record setting swimmers have not set PRs in the new high-tech suit era is inexplicable. Apparently, they are not good speedboat drivers. Drag Coefficient The new suit fabrics create less drag. That's really the most important thing they do. Although the suits may make swimmers feel more buoyant, they do not float as many critics claim. It's not the so-called "air-trapping" quality that accounts for the suits' effectiveness. Drag is by far the greatest obstacle in swimming, not gravity. The fastest swimmers are not the most buoyant. It is far more advantageous to be streamlined than to carry extra body fat. With nearly 1/2 of short course races swum underwater, it is hard to see how positive buoyancy would be helpful anyway. The tech suits reduce drag at the expense of feel for the water and range of motion, which is probably why most2008 Olympic swimmers choose not to wear the full body versions. The advantage these suits provide is real, but overstated. The polyurethane suits are not disproportionately faster than the previous generation of suits. Polyurethane is more slippery than lycra and maintains this property far longer because it cannot become waterlogged. Making suits that are more streamlined and more slippery is a time-honored tradition in our sport. Polyurethane and other hydrophobic materials are the next logical step in a long progression of fabric and suit design. This evolutionary step is arguably no more than the advantage of nylon over wool, and lycra over nylon. Who gets to decide that fabric evolution must stop now? Why should swimmers be required to compete in waterlogged materials? How does that make the sport more "pure"? Is FINA working with a coherent and consistent framework and prepared to handle the nuance of sorting out emerging technologies? If not the suits, what is it? World Records are falling with uncommon regularity. But why? It's not just the suits (although they certainly play a role) and it's not rampant doping (although there is undoubtedly some drug boosting going on somewhere). A more rational explanation for the swimming revolution is found in the swimmers themselves—which is ironic because the most vocal critics of advanced suits claim that they want to protect the sport, while refusing to give swimmers the credit they deserve. Let's look at a few other recent developments that have undeniably played a significant role in reshaping the sport. the Phelps Effect One important factor is the Phelps Effect. Michael single-handedly restructured the sport, even before his monumental 2008 Olympic achievement. Several years ago, as he matured physically, his performances literally redefined the sport. He swam times in the 200 IM and 200 fly that put him in a universe of his own. No one was even close, which left a huge vacuum in Phelps' wake. Although he continues to steadily improve, the rest of the world, led by Ryan Lochte and Laszlo Cseh, responded to his challenge and closed the gap. Phelps rarely enjoys the margin of victory he did a few years ago. Chasing Michael makes the whole swimming world faster. Much faster. The Phelps Effect is a continuing series of quantum leaps for the sport. Stroke Innovation The evolution of stroke rules and technique plays a major role in the improvements in times throughout the sport's history. Race footage from the Sydney Olympics already looks like a nostalgic, by-gone era. Technique has evolved so rapidly that comparing races from Sydney and Beijing almost looks like two different sports. The two most prominent recent technical innovations are the "straight-arm recovery" for sprint freestyle and "underwater dolphin kick". Together, these developments are nothing short of revolutionary in their effect on swimming training and performance. Straight Arms Most of the top male sprinters in the world are using a straight-arm recovery. The swimmers at the top of sprint freestyle are very well established. Their times didn't take one huge drop as soon as they put on a polyurethane body suit. They have steadily improved over the past two years or more. A survey of top performers indicates that the straight-arm recovery is clearly superior to the old-fashioned high-elbow stroke preferred by previous generations and most Americans, still. Faster technique equals faster records. Now that Michael is experimenting with the straight-arm technique, the rest of American swimming is sure to follow. Underwater Kicks A large measure of the genius Bob Bowman and Michael Phelps is their willingness to change, to take calculated risks and experiment with technique. To stay ahead of the pack, the two collaborators spent the years between the past two Olympics developing Michael's underwater dolphin kick. When Michael broke his own WRs with regularity in Beijing, he didn't do it because he wore a body suit. He did it largely because he dominated the turns. His underwater dolphin kick gave him a knockout punch in nearly every race. If you take away the improvement in his underwater work, Phelps is pretty much the same swimmer he was in Athens. Although Michael is the best at using this underwater weapon, practically every swimmer at the Olympic level used it to get there. This dolphin kick epiphany was a long time coming. Back in the early 80's Indiana University flyer, Jim Haliburton, pioneered the underwater dolphin kick as an effective backstroke technique. Misty Hyman took it to another level, culminating in Olympic Gold. But coaches were slow to embrace the strategy and for years it remained an anomaly. Not so today. Bowman and Phelps may not be the inventors of the technique, but they certainly exploited and popularized it. Before the summer of 2008, most swimmers did not take "underwaters" very seriously. That changed dramatically when Phelps and others proved beyond all doubt what a devastating and essential weapon underwaters has become. Age group coaches everywhere now emphasize mastering underwater dolphin kicking as an essential "5th stroke". In the most successful programs, executing underwaters in training is no longer encouraged, but required. The underwater revolution is even more pronounced at short course events like the NCAAs, where the best swimmers from just a few years ago would have trouble competing with today's crop, regardless of the type of suits they wear. Swimmers who have not mastered the underwater dolphin technique cannot compete with swimmers who have, especially in short course competition. Amaury Leveaux's :44.9 SCM 100 free WR has more to do with his "straight-arm recovery" freestyle technique and his underwaters than whatever suit he was wearing. When he set that record, everyone in that elite field used pretty much the same equipment and arm recovery. The difference was Leveaux's underwater advantage on the start and turns. He simply devoured the pool and everything in it with his powerful dolphin kick. For some inexplicable reason, the suit critics do not seem to recognize just how revolutionary this underwater tactic is and how thoroughly it has transformed the sport. If these guardians of swimming's historic continuity really want to control the progression of times and return them to pre-2008 levels, they should outlaw the underwater dolphin kick, not the suits. Strength Training In the early 90's, Mike Barrowman trained like few swimmers before or since. His legendary dry-land workouts focused on developing core strength using a variety of tools, including a medicine ball. Conventional swimming routines neglect this key aspect of strength development. Dara Torres has redefined age and performance through a similar approach to strength training. A comparison of photos of Dara Torres from each of the past three decades clearly shows her physical transformation. Although she always maintained a high level of conditioning, the photos from 2007 onward show a markedly different and superior physique. Before her latest comeback, Dara started training with methods adapted from a high-speed, contact sport: pro hockey. Her intense dry-land workouts allowed her to develop a new source of strength and power based on core stability and muscular integration. The traditional swimming workout by itself won't do that. Water simply cannot offer the same kind of resistance as weight training. And unlike the typical blunt tool approach to weight training used by most swimmers, the strength developed through a highly specific dry-land program is 100% usable. The intelligent strength derived from "unconventional" dry-land training also allows changes in the approach to pool training. It is far more effective to train neuromuscular and cardiovascular systems in the gym. For sprinters in particular, it makes sense use pool time to concentrate on speed and technique, to simulate racing as much as possible, and allow plenty of recovery time. A similar age-defying example is 38 year-old Mark Foster's remarkable performances in the 50 freestyle in 2008. Foster's PR times are the result of a similar approach to strength training. His time in the pool is focused on quality and technique, while he develops his strength and cardio endurance outside of the pool in the weight room and on a road bike. Now, many programs around the world have switched to quality oriented training instead of hammering out mega-yardage the old-fashioned way. As a result, swimmer bodies look very different than they did just a few years ago. Female swimmers are leaner and stronger than ever, and male sprinters have morphed into superheroes. Their power is undeniable. Core Strength Interestingly, straight-arm freestyle and underwater dolphin kick have something in common: core strength. The training required to develop each of these techniques has created an unexpected and under-appreciated by-product, the core swimming revolution. One reason that straight-arm freestyle is effective is the mechanical advantage generated by throwing the arms with core rotation. The windmill motion creates maximum hand speed and momentum with no effort from the arm muscles. The core drives the stroke, just like a powerful golf swing generates club speed by uncoiling the body. The fastest backstrokers know how to use the mechanical advantage of throwing their arms, so freestyle is learning from backstroke. One difference between straight-arm freestyle and underwater dolphin kick with regard to core strength is that one uses it and the other develops it. Sprint freestylers are developing their strength in the weight room, then applying their power in the pool. Traditional swimming workouts cannot effectively develop maximum core strength and stability, but training for a fast, underwater dolphin kick can. Swimmers are almost accidentally developing enormous core strength and muscular integration as a by-product of the new emphasis on underwater dolphin kick. This core stability improves every aspect of their performance, regardless of whether or not an event involves dolphin kicking. Technique has altered training methods and transformed the swimmers themselves. Swimmers are far stronger than they were just a few years ago, and better equipped to use their power effectively. Diversity The entire landscape of swimming is changing. Not just suit technology. Not just training methods and technique. Everything has changed. Today, world record holders emerge from a wide array of countries on every populated continent. The competitive field is no longer owned by one race from two or three national super powers. Geographic, cultural, and racial diversity now define the sport at the highest levels. Only a devout chauvinist or cynic would argue that the recent worldwide emergence of elite swimmers is due to magic swimsuits or some other nefarious or illegitimate means. The power structure of the sport is shifting. The elite levels of swimming reflect more inclusiveness and diversity than ever, which is something to embrace and celebrate, not stifle. FluidG http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/FluidG/7540-in-defense-of-evolution Sun, 24 May 2009 21:21:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/FluidG/7537-cost-factor the Cost Factor The argument that the polyurethane suits are creating a crippling new expense for swimmers and teams doesn't ring true. The only one that fits that bill is the LZR. Full-body suits were introduced by Speedo in 2000, nearly 10 years ago. That summer, you had to be an Olympic Trials qualifier or very lucky to get your hands on one. Those suits were never cheap; the last generation of the Fastskins, the Pro, lists $340, while the hydrophobic TYR Tracer is only $280. The first time you put one on, water will bead up on a lycra body suit, but after a few swims, lycra body suits perform like a wet sock and begin to disintegrate. Polyurethane is extremely durable. It stretches out, but the fabric retains its low drag coefficient and material integrity indefinitely, making it a far more economical choice. Polyurethane suits last much longer than the previous generation of lycra suits and cost about the same amount or less. It's difficult to understand the outcry over these suits breaking the bank. The Blueseventy is the first competition suit I've ever owned that is truly economical. Leading the effort to rid the market of these long-lasting, affordable, high-performance suits are the advocates of the one obvious exception to this economic practicality; the fragile, extravagantly expensive and disposable LZR. Before I offer my critique of the LZR, I should say that I've never worn one. If someone gave me one, I'd try it, but I'm completely content with my far less expensive, long-lasting Blu70/ Aqua Zone. To me, the LZR is like a Hummer, something I'd be embarrassed to be seen driving. I do have experience with design, and it looks like Speedo took the wrong path this time. The LZR is impractical on just about every level. It is difficult and expensive to manufacture, it is frail and prone to structural failure, it only lasts for a few races, and it is expensive to buy. The LZR looks like a prototype, not a fully resolved design. The distribution and shape of materials appears ad hoc, like an experiment searching for form. A truly hydrodynamic form always looks elegant; the LZR does not. As far as I know, there are no LZR copycats. No other company developed suits with scattered trapezoidal, hydrophobic patches. Speedo has invested huge sums of money in the success of the LZR and finds itself alone on an island with its white elephant. Did they bet the farm on this strategy? Speedo reportedly lost $38 million last year. It looks like they invested too heavily in a complex, expensive, and impractical suit technology, and now are doing everything possible to distort the marketplace so their inferior product can survive. If the LZR was a viable product on its own merits, Speedo/FINA wouldn't have to tilt the playing field with its erratic rulings to drive the competition out of the market. Maybe the LZR doesn't deserve to survive. It is disastrous for the LZR to be the only suit left standing by the FINA ruling. I, for one, don't want to be forced into that kind of choice. FluidG http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/FluidG/7537-cost-factor Fri, 22 May 2009 21:25:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/7099-joensen-video This spring, I've remained faithful in my commitment to bringing you every shred of information I can on the best athlete in Faroese history: Pål Joensen. Since my last writing, there hasn't been much news to report. There will be some summer tune up meets coming soon, but until then, you'll have to live with the fact that I've finally uncovered the video of our intrepid swimmer. For your entertainment, here is my running diary (Bill Simmons style) of watching this 4 minute clip: :08: Faroese newscasts use cheesy flatscreen backgrounds just like us! Also, that news anchor has one hell of a long name. :50: Looks to be footage from Belgrade. I'm guess this is the mile judging by the margin of victory. :56, 1:01: This hand flick on the recovery seems to be the easiest way to pick him out of a crowd in the pool. 1:11: The big question with every swimmer these days: What suit was he wearing? In this case: TYR. I don't understand why TYR hasn't just gotten all the Scandinavian countries on their sponsorship. It just makes sense. 1:21: Now would be a good time to remind everyone that Pål lives in a country with very few sunny days. I hope he wore his SPF Infinity. 1:46: The patented posed photos with medals around the neck. Except way more cheesy this time. I love it. 1:49: Really? They couldn't get a Faroese flag that was half as big as the other flags? 1:55: Choppy underwater shot. Our first look at the stroke. 2:25: No idea what meet this is. Its outdoors so that rules out the Faroes. But he is lapping people. 3:00: He could definitely break 15:00 if he went all the way down on those pullups. 3:28: Pål about 20 seconds and 2 years ago in the 400 free. 3:48: Possible shot of adoring fans imitating the hand flick? Roll credits. Enjoy! Chris_desantis http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/7099-joensen-video Fri, 22 May 2009 08:02:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Tremstal/7089-hope-the-sandeno-story Chances are if you are reading this, you know the stats2x Olympian4x Olympic Medalist12x All-American @ USCSwam professionally for NikeTrained at Nellie Gale, USC/Trojan and Club Wolverine Basically she is just a golden lasso short of Wonder Woman and if you need more background than that, check out her wiki page, her player bio or her new FB page though I am sure plenty of you will just do a google image search and call it good. Oh this was is pretty good place for background too if for no other reason than I got a shout out at the end.So why would I write about Kaitlin Sandeno? Perhaps because of my unabashed SC bias, or possibly because of an old college crush that never really died (I wouldn't be the only one) or simply because writing about suits didn’t win me any fans… I’ll admit that there could be some truth to any/all of those theories but the reality is I read the 20 Question Tuesday with Kaitlin last week and got inspired.Having known KS for the last 9 years, I was really interested to find out what she is doing and how she is meaningfully filling her non-swimming hours. All too often we see athletes like Favre flirt with endless comebacks or Jordan heartbroken when he recognizes that he will never play at the elite level again. So for a woman in her mid 20s, who has stood at the pinnacle of swimming for so long, to come off in an interview as being at such peace with her life… more had to be said.In my opinion and in the opinion of many coaches of female IMers , Kaitlin is as great a gamer as they come. She showed an amazing ability to step up in the critical moment and get the job done no matter the obstacles. She believed in herself and she didn’t back down from attaining her goals. We all remember it in Athens as she busted out the AR in the 4IM and anchored the WR/Gold Medal winning 8Free relay - but I personally recall the workouts where we needed someone to come through on an oh-so-necessary “get-out-swim” and Kaitlin always busting something amazing. She thrived in those moments, times when her teammates had hope but more importantly she had an expectation. So it comes as little surprise to me that a Sunday church service with the message of being someone’s hope, stuck with her.Sure we could say that for years she has been one person or another’s hope each time she dove into the pool - but that kind of hope is temporary and superficial. Kaitlin, though, has sought out a way to be the kind of hope that has a lasting impact. No one would have been surprised if she chose the path to becoming a TV star (we may still see her there) or taken a sports marketing job at Nike, but Kaitlin wants something more. She wants to live out that Sunday message and truly be someone’s hope. There are typical routes she could have taken to achieving this, like joining “Teach for America” or volunteering at the “Boys and Girls Club” but Kaitlin is creating something unique to herself. Something which allows her experience, passion and personality to be paramount in her career. We should all be so lucky!In her new enterprise Kaitlin has partnered with the trainers at Think Physical Therapy in Tustin, Ca (the guys who have been putting her back together for the last 10 years) to offer injury prevention through 1-on-1 stroke correction, in pool rehabilitation for post injury and most interestingly a mentoring component. While Kaitlin may not be a sports psychologist or anything like that, she has lived through enough ups and downs to have the benefit of perspective. When an athlete hears the same message over and over from their coach or even Mom and Dad, it often just becomes noise… Hearing it from someone like Kaitlin has the power to cut through and truly make an impact. Speaking of parents, the mentoring aspect need not be done only with the swimmer. If there is one thing I learned from 20 years on the pool deck it is that too many wonderful, talented swimmers fell short of their physical potential because they burned out early under the strains placed on them by their parents. There is no doubt in my mind that Kaitlin will sinerly become someone’s hope when she connects with their parents and helps to create an environment in which they may truly thrive.I have no doubt that working with Kaitlin and experiencing her enthusiasm and infectious energy will be nothing short of inspiring. We should all have been so lucky as to have a Kaitlin for a mentor. Too bad so many athlete get so hung up on themselves and miss the chance to make this kind of impact. Tremstal http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Tremstal/7089-hope-the-sandeno-story Tue, 19 May 2009 19:07:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Gracefulswimming/7086-a-team-with-class At this moment I am sitting in the Portland airport waiting for my connecting flight back to Vancouver. Usually I am extremely excited to be going back home, to get back on the deck coaching, to get back into the forest to climb and to get back to a routine. Today I am happy to be making my way back to North Vancouver, but I am not as excited as I usually am because of where I spent the last week. I am always surprised at how much I like a lot of the cities I visit in the United States (yes there is a little Canuck prejudice coming oot) and this time Tucson was the city that surprised me. Was it the heat that I liked? Nope, although my body did get adapted after about five days. Was it the outdoor environment surrounding the city? Although Mount Lemmon was beautiful, I never did find good climbing, so nope that wasn’t it. Was it the food? Now this helped, I have never had so many good breakfasts at greasy spoons or such great Mexican food (thank you Mr. Greenshields). So what was it that made Tucson a place that I didn’t want to leave? Simply put it was the people and more specifically the people that can be labeled as Wildcats. I had the opportunity at the 2008 Men’s NCAA Championships to meet Auggie and Frank Busch while chronicling their team’s amazing performance for SwimNews. Fast forward a year, in February I emailed Auggie about coming down to visit the program for a week, his response was quick and simply asked; when are you coming? Fast forward again this time to last week, from the first moment I walked on deck I was made to feel welcomed and at home. The coaches were extremely gratuitous, allowing me to be on deck for all practices, answering any and all questions that I had and they spent as much time with me as I requested, taking me to some amazing breakfast places (I love Bobos!!). The swimmers were amazing, with a group of them allowing me to crash on a couch and recall memories of what it was like to be a 20 year old college student (surprisingly they were neater than I was at their age, I know that is a scary thought!!). All of the swimmers that I asked to take some time to talk to me were more than willing to answer all of my questions with great insight and honesty (even if one of them stood me up ;) they made up for it). I will be sharing some of my insights and things I learned from my week in Arizona with the Floswimming community in the upcoming weeks, but the first thing I learned after seven days in Tucson is that if you are a Wildcat you should be very proud of that, not only because of the way you perform in the pool, but because you are a team with a heck of a lot of class!!! A special thanks to Jake, Joel, Chitty, Tom, Matt, AJ and Pete for allowing me to share the house with you, it was a lot of fun! Gracefulswimming http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Gracefulswimming/7086-a-team-with-class Tue, 19 May 2009 15:15:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Gracefulswimming/7076-phelpsmania-continues Because I spent the last week in Tucson I was able to watch ESPN Sports Centre (we up in the great white north don’t get ESPN unless we are willing to sacrifice an arm or a leg). Two things astonished me about their telecasts; the first was that hockey was included in their programming and the second was I had the ability to follow the Charlotte Ultra Swim, on ESPN!!! I know most of you will not care about the first (except for certain Carolina Hurricanes fans that live in Tucson and yes I am still devastated seeing the Bruins lose) so let’s discuss the second. After the Olympics there was much debate whether Phelpsmania could have staying power, it was an even bigger debate whether it would after ‘The Picture’ was published. After watching the coverage of the Ultraswim I think it can be stated that Phelpsmania has had the staying power that all of us in the sport had hoped it would, at least for now. Really when is the last time that you heard the anchors on Sports Centre talk about straight arm freestyle? When is the last time you saw that many reporters on deck? Phelps stated that he felt like there were more cameras pointed at him in Charlotte than there were in Beijing (with a bit of sarcasm I am sure). Even if there was an obvious lack of knowledge by those reporting on the event, they were reporting on the event!! One year after the Olympic Games Phelps continues to bring attention to the sport and overall has been a great ambassador for swimming. So for now Phelpsmania is alive and well, let’s keep our fingers crossed that it continues. Gracefulswimming http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Gracefulswimming/7076-phelpsmania-continues Mon, 18 May 2009 17:17:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Hawke/7066-pump-the-breaks-craig-lord The swimming community gets it: Craig Lord does not approve of the new swim suit technology. He's beaten that poor horse to the point of breaking Barbaro's other legs. Time to give a rest, Craig. It is not all about the suits. Your latest article, "Why Ruin Rome With A(nother) Lie?" called out one of my athletes in particular in a manner that borders on defamation of character. You claimed, several times over, that Fred Bousquet was not capable of breaking the 21 second barrier without the suit. You are 100% confident that the suit is the reason he went as fast as he did. You are sure that Fred is not as fast as he is without the suit. However, Alain Bernard wore the same suit. He didn't break 21 seconds. The Jaked you hate so much was worn by several athletes at the Olympic games, yet none of them broke 21 seconds. I knew before we left for France that Fred was capable of breaking 21 seconds, regardless of the suit he chose to wear. While you move forward attacking this new generation of suits, make sure you are aiming in the right direction. Attacking the athletes is shooting yourself in the foot.Whether you intended to or not, your article took away from Fred the hard work that he has put-in the last year. You have discredited my coaching, Coach Quick's coaching, and the ability of my athletes because of your own hatred of a swimming suit. Craig, you have speculated and surmounted outrages quotes to point out your own personal view in a format that was once considered news. In doing so, you may see yourself as a martyr for the "purity of the sport", but sacrificing my athletes and the work I've put into coaching them along the way is unacceptable.This is an exciting time for swimming. Rather than embrace the amazing racing that is goingon, you chose to dwell on the suits. Fine, but when you start attacking the athletes how is that helping the sport? Must I remind you that Fred was the first man to break 19 seconds in a yard pool? Remember the suit he wore then? Remember how much he obliterated 19 seconds by? It wasn't the suit then. The truth is, Fred has always had the talent to do amazing things. He is in the best shape of his life and he is smart enough to swim in the best suit he can find. And you don't think he's capable of swimming like he has? Did you watch the 50 freestyle in Charlotte? Cullen Jones was wearing one of the suits you hate. Half of the final heat was wearing the exact same suit at Fred. Fred beat the field by over half a second in the fifty. That was not the suit Craig. Its was Fred.Should Michael Jordan have played out his career in Chuck Taylors? Should Usain Bolt sprint in flat shoes even while everyone else in the race wears spikes? According to your way of thinking, which has been made VERY evident on Swimnews.com, Jordan was only great because of his shoes. Just like Fred is only great because of his suit. And while you haven't had the guts to come out and say it yet: Why don't you just admit that the only reason Michael Phelps won eight gold medals and broke all those world records was because of the suit he wore doing so. According to your comments, it couldn't have been because of coach Bowman. It couldn't have been because of all the work he put in. And it surely wasn't about how amazing Phelps is as an athlete. Its about the suit, isn't it Craig? I have a hard time believing that. The swimming world has a hard time believing that. And you know they do. That is why you haven't attacked Phelps. No no. That guy is off limits. But my French athlete, coached by an Australian at Auburn, he pretty much deserves to be attacked. Nobody likes French people at Auburn, do they Craig? So you took the green light to destroy everything he has accomplished.I'm not sure why you think you have an obligation to write about non-american athletes the way you do. But you are done comparing my athletes to cheaters from thirty years ago. Write what you like, you have the right. But when you choose to drag my athletes through the mud because of the suits on their bodies or the caps on their heads, I will personally address it.In the meantime, my athletes will keep training, eating and breathing swimming while you sit behind a computer and try to write about it. My swimmers will get faster and stronger while you sip your diet coke and figure out ways to take away their accomplishments. And one day, when that loose screw in your head tightens up, I hope it will occur to you that the things you wrote about Fred Bousquet and so many other athletes, weren't only false, but hurtful and wrong. Not only that, but you've done more to hurt swimming than help it. It is not all about the suit. It is time for you to stop discrediting everything that goes into developing phenomenal athletes because of your hatred of sewn together fabric. Hawke http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Hawke/7066-pump-the-breaks-craig-lord Mon, 18 May 2009 09:09:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Thescreamingviking/7005-drury-swimmer-turned-crimefighter I've seen this guy race. Studly to say the least. I wouldn't try to rob his place. That's for sure <object height="264" width="320"><param name="movie" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" value="http://www.kspr.com/v/?i=44848727" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="AllowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.kspr.com/v/?i=44848727" AllowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" height="264" wmode="transparent" width="320"></embed></object> Read the article here. swimviking.blogspot.com Thescreamingviking http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Thescreamingviking/7005-drury-swimmer-turned-crimefighter Wed, 13 May 2009 08:14:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/6971-lessons-from-my-mother I wanted to take a break on this final day of Master's Nationals to write about a very important topic. Today is Mother's day, and I wouldn't be here writing this blog if not for my mom. The story of me and swimming has everything to do with her from the very beginning. My mother took me to my first swim practice when I was nine years old. At the time, I was a fairly dormant, unathletic youth. I spent a lot of time inside by myself. My biggest memory from my first swim practice was the miserable headache I got. My biggest memory from my first swim season was never finishing better than last. But above all, my first two seasons in swimming ended with my mother and I in the same conversation. I came to my mom dejected- I was a terrible swimmer. But my mom had been sharp and recorded all my times over the course of those seasons. She didn't do it to be overbearing, but more to show me how far I had come. She always encouraged me to compare what I had accomplished to myself and not to others. And I believe to this day I may just have walked away from swimming without that gentle nudge from Mom. My mother evolved into the perfect swim parent for me. After those first couple years she stopped writing down times. Every race win or lose she was there to watch. She took pressure entirely out of the equation and let me do the sport on my own terms. It was during that time that I really fell in love with the sport. Without knowing it, she had already given me a clear path for how I would make my time as a swimmer. I can't remember a day since I was born that my mom didn't do some kind of exercise. I found myself getting into the same rhythm. I wanted to be at practice every day. I started planning my swimming career not around some artificial end after college. I wanted to be in the pool on a regular basis for the rest of my life. There were a few times that my mom wasn't totally supportive either. I appreciate those just the same. When I was 14, I finished a 100 breaststroke and added three seconds. Disgusted with my time, I let my emotions go and threw my goggles across the pool deck. In the car afterwards, Mom wasn't happy. I found out right then and there that if I ever displayed poor sportsmanship again that meet would be my last. So on this Mother's Day, I want to thank my mom for how she helped me along the road to the thing I'm most passionate about. I couldn't have done it without her. Chris_desantis http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/6971-lessons-from-my-mother Sun, 10 May 2009 18:53:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/6914-masters-nationals-are-you-ready Last year, right around this time, I was insanely jealous. Its not an uncommon feeling since I got involved with floswimming. Garrett was at a fun meet and I was sitting around in Philly living it vicariously through him. Sound familiar? Well in this case, that meet was Master's Nationals. Garrett saw the meet was happening on his doorstep in Austin, Texas and decided to take his one man show to the people. What he found was something surprising to him but not to the many proud USMS athletes. Nationals is a meet with a lot of facets. Lets break them down in list form. 1. Older people making you feel embarassed. Thats right, be prepared for swimmers in their 40s, 50s and beyond to completely humiliate you this weekend. And by you I mean all the 20 somethings who haven't figured out that they should just keep swimming yet. These swimmers are supposed to be "past their prime" only a lot of them haven't gotten the memo yet. 2. People who look at least twenty years younger than they are. I'm stealing this one from Tony Austin who continually cites a theorem on his blog that a master's swimmer will consistently look twenty years younger. Want some evidence? Lets watch a video from last year: I ended up commenting on this video twice. I asked someone to guess how old he was. Their guess: 45. Actual age: 64. Nuff said. 3. A whole lot of fun. Beyond the record swims and ridiculously young looking retirees, this meet is about people that truly love swimming and cherish the experience of still being able to compete. All reasons why I'm pumped I get to go this year. See you in Fresno! Chris_desantis http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/6914-masters-nationals-are-you-ready Mon, 04 May 2009 14:14:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Thescreamingviking/6885-a-dark-day-for-swimming It is a dark day for swimming. I am heart broken. I am horribly disgusted. The University of Washington cut men’s and women’s swimming today. I don’t even know what to say. I want to punch somebody. I have had many friends involved with the program through the years. I wanted to be a Husky when I was an age grouper. I proudly helped my first scholarship earning athlete to sign with them in 2003. I hope they put up a fight. Whitney Hite has done an incredible job, and the Huskies have been moving up. Now their success is just salt on the wound. To make it worse, the University of New Orleans lost their vote this morning. I don’t know if that means any programs will be cut, but from the looks of it, I can’t imagine it is good news. Randy Horner has done amazing things in the short time he has been there too. I hope they get to hang on.I have a lot to say about the current state of college sports. I wrote this one at swim network when I was angry about Arizona State and their battle to keep swimming. There are so many layers to the problem. I have my master's degree in Athletic Administration and I have a close relation who is an AD who has had to cut teams recently. I could go on all day about non-revenue programs being cut.But not right now… …right now, I am in mourning. I imagine I am standing with horns low on deck at the Husky pool. I grieve for the generations of Husky swimmers who have given so much of themselves to carry their rich tradition from the early days of NCAA swimming through to the present day. If the program can't be reinstated, it at least deserves a Viking's funeral, with flames and smoke carrying a message on high so that all can see that this is terribly, terribly wrong. We have to fight this. It is not okay to just let it go. Thescreamingviking http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Thescreamingviking/6885-a-dark-day-for-swimming Fri, 01 May 2009 15:15:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/6875-the-other-side-of-the-coin In a blog earlier this week, I poked fun directly Swimnews' Craig Lord and indirectly at one of our own bloggers, Trent Staley. In the response I recieved from the blog, I feel bad for two things: 1. For picking on Craig Lord. I liken it to when I was in the 8th grade and I had one of those adjustable height basketball hoops in my driveway. I used to unleash devestating windmills with the hoop set to 8 ft. Just too easy. 2. For coming off like I didn't value Trent's contribution. He's a former national team member and a voice from the inside of USA Swimming that we appreciate and need. The blog also obscured my real position on "the suits". I wanted to present a counterpoint to the argument I saw poorly defended across the internet- that somehow undeserving swimmers were walking away with medals, spots on national teams, and placing. I was frustrated by the lack of independent scientific research into the suits. In an effort to examine whether or not suits were in fact influencing results, I reached out for knowledge where I could find it. My first inclination was to turn to the dedicated researchers at the Counsilman center. I asked floswimming contributor Chris Brammer whether he thought the latest generation was effecting different swimmers in different ways. For the sake of brevity, I will paraphrase his response. Basically, any buoyancy effect by the suits depends on two factors: the water displaced by the swimmer and the density of that swimmer. Size is the primary factor in water displacement- a big guy like Matt Grevers displaces way more water than a tiny swimmer like Janet Evans. Likewise, the more muscular a swimmer is the more dense they will actually be. As I understand it, in this simplistic model, a smaller swimmer benefits more but the denser, more muscular swimmer also benefits more. What is the truth is that there is at the present time only anecdotal evidence for each side of this argument. The world waits with bated breath for the independent testing measures that FINA has ordered a Swiss scientist to produce. And within my original blog, I presented some anecdotes that would indicate that everything is going just as it would, suits or not. Still, there are significant examples that fly completely in the face of that argument. Several consistent international performers had their times trend in the wrong direction at precisely the time the most recent generation of suits hit the market. So without further ado: 1. Ian Crocker- What happened to Ian? In 2005 he set one of the few world records that has survived this past 15 months of onslaught. In 2006, his time trended upwards slightly but he regained his world beating form in 2007. And then, in the prime of his swimming career (Age 26), he completely fell off the map in 2008. 2. Rachel Komisarz- While you could argue Rachel was not in her prime in 2008, she had nevertheless completed an unbelievably consistent string of years in the 100 butterfly. And then, in an Olympic year, she got slower with suits that were supposed to be granting new life. 3. Stefan Nystrand and Roland Schoeman- I honestly expected these two guys to be two of the biggest sprint stories of 2008. Stefan had made a steady assent to the top of the world since 2004. In 2007, he went 21.9 in the 50 and 47.9 in the 100 and looked like he could be the first legitimate threat to Hoogie's 100 free WR. Schoeman looked to be the greatest threat to Alexander Popov's venerable 50 free when he recorded a 21.69 in 2005 and later recorded a 20.98 SCM in 2007. However, in 2008 the rest of the sprinting world blew by these two like they were standing still. These are just a few examples of a trend. And the examples beg the question: have careers of elite swimmers and coaches been unalterably changed by this development? The debate continues while the world waits for FINA. Chris_desantis http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/6875-the-other-side-of-the-coin Fri, 01 May 2009 05:05:00 -0500 http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/6859-pl-update I think we're all ready for something uplifting. If you recall a couple weeks ago, I promised to keep a running blog of all the information I got on the Faroese underdog, Pål Joensen. I've sent another e-mail to his coach and floswimming member Jón Bjarnason and wanted to give everyone an update. I was curious as to how Pål's schedule compared to an American boy of the same age. Pål is 18 years old, the same age as a high school senior or college freshmen in the United States. However, the Faroese educational system, similar to Scandinavian and German paths, is somewhat hard to translate. Effectively, Pål has finished a majority of high school and is now in his first year of Gymnasium. While Gymnasium is the school level before a University education in the Faroes, it is not "high school". Its something between "high school" and "college". And just in case you were wondering, there is in fact a University in the Faroe Islands, teaching classes in Faroese and offering doctorate degrees. For now though, he balances a swimming schedule around school much in the same way many elite young American swimmers do. Jón informs me that he does train doubles, and typically does 11-13 practice sessions a week. The program is diverse: pool training, dryland/strength training (Pål's weakness), and stretching. Volume can get as high as 90 km a week, although some of that yardage (or should i say meterage?) comes in the form of long recovery swims to balance harder training sessions. I wanted to delve further into the past. From my first blog, you know that when Jón and Pål met, Pål was 15 years old and training out of a 12.5 m pool. Although it pained me, I couldn't help but think "Why?". Why was Pål even still at the sport. In America, with facilities far more glamorous and far more incentives (college admissions) we have trouble keeping talented young men in the sport. Why then did Pål stick it out, I asked. Jón was quick to give credit to Pål's former coach, a full time carpenter who was effectively volunteering his time to work with local swimmers. This coach (and perhaps Jón can provide the name after reading this) kept the sport fun and engaging, but as fate would have it, was facing the hard truth that he could no longer afford to volunteer his time at the precise moment Jón returned to his home island. If you've read Malcolm Gladwell's outliers, than you know that great success has a lot to do with talent but also lucky circumstances. Some people would question just how lucky Pål was, but to me this story has several crucial points. Yes, this athlete was born talented and that is lucky. But its also lucky that when you grow up isolated on an island with one option for a swimming coach, that person happens to be someone that despite being totally unpayed is passionate enough to give you a good experience. And that at the precise moment you might lose hope, someone else equally as passionate comes into the picture. To give you a snapshot of Pål's progression over the last few years, Jón provided me with these times. Pål's 2006 best in the 1500 scm was 16:08. In 2008 it was 14:39. In January of 2008, he was 4:08 LCM in the 400 free. This past summer he was 3:51 and just weeks ago unrested at Danish nationals he was 3:48. What does the future hold for this pair? Well when I first spoke with Jón it seemed Pål might be taking his first trip to the US to train at a long course facility. In the meantime, that plan has fallen through, but as summer school vacation approaching, Jón has not given up and they may yet find a long course pool in another country. I also asked for a preview of his meets this summer. Pål will be competing in Paris June 19-21 and at a meet in Sweden a week later. I will do my best to keep the community informed as the summer goes on! Chris_desantis http://www.floswimming.org/blogs/blogger/Chris_desantis/6859-pl-update Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:34:00 -0500