Without high-tech suits, records fall in London
Source: Agencies |
August 7, 2012, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
SO much for all those dire predictions of it taking many years, even decades, to break the swimming records set in high-tech bodysuits. Nine world records fell in London - 2 1/2 years after the return to old-fashioned textile suits.
That was a vast improvement from last year's world championships in Shanghai, when only two swimmers set world records - Ryan Lochte of the United States in the 200-meter individual medley and Sun Yang of China in the marathon-like 1,500 freestyle.
"When they changed the sport everyone started thinking that there won't be another world record broken for a while," Lochte said. "But I went out there and I changed that last year and Sun Yang changed it, too. So people started saying, 'You know what? That's possible. This can actually happen.' And they started believing, and once you start believing, anything can happen."
At the 2008 Beijing Games, 25 world records dropped - nearly all of them from swimmers wearing Speedo's innovative LZR Racer bodysuit, which was designed with help from NASA.
"Many people in the past were saying you had to go back to scratch and start from zero," FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu said. "This demonstrates that at the end of the day it's the quality of the athletes and the preparation. These people are swimming 15-20 kilometers (9-12 miles) every day."
But there are still some clamoring for change. Manufacturers are not happy with the new men's suits, which don't allow sponsorship space on the chest.
"There are some discussions that the men have less possibility to advertise than the women," Marculescu said. "We should not have a closed mind. ... For the moment, it is what it is. Everyone is happy. But sport is business."
"It's like Formula One, changing rules every year, you just conform and do your best," Van der Burgh said. "Keep it as is. You got to show off your physique and look good."
That was a vast improvement from last year's world championships in Shanghai, when only two swimmers set world records - Ryan Lochte of the United States in the 200-meter individual medley and Sun Yang of China in the marathon-like 1,500 freestyle.
"When they changed the sport everyone started thinking that there won't be another world record broken for a while," Lochte said. "But I went out there and I changed that last year and Sun Yang changed it, too. So people started saying, 'You know what? That's possible. This can actually happen.' And they started believing, and once you start believing, anything can happen."
At the 2008 Beijing Games, 25 world records dropped - nearly all of them from swimmers wearing Speedo's innovative LZR Racer bodysuit, which was designed with help from NASA.
"Many people in the past were saying you had to go back to scratch and start from zero," FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu said. "This demonstrates that at the end of the day it's the quality of the athletes and the preparation. These people are swimming 15-20 kilometers (9-12 miles) every day."
But there are still some clamoring for change. Manufacturers are not happy with the new men's suits, which don't allow sponsorship space on the chest.
"There are some discussions that the men have less possibility to advertise than the women," Marculescu said. "We should not have a closed mind. ... For the moment, it is what it is. Everyone is happy. But sport is business."
"It's like Formula One, changing rules every year, you just conform and do your best," Van der Burgh said. "Keep it as is. You got to show off your physique and look good."
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