ROME — With all the astonishing technological advances of the past year and a half threatening to turn swimming into "a joke of a sport," as one top coach put it, officials Thursday took a cautious step toward reining things in.
FINA, the sport's governing body, approved a proposal backed by USA Swimming that adds two key words to a rule stating: "No swimmer shall be permitted to use or wear any device that may aid his speed, buoyancy or endurance during a competition." The new rule bars "any device or swimsuit" that aids performance.
Some suits are suspected of creating "air trapping" effects that artificially enhance speed.
The new rule comes just as Michael Phelps and Co. prepared to make a splash at the world swimming championships.
"It's still a bit unclear on how it will affect the swimsuit issue, because we still need to define what the rules are going to be," said Mark Schubert, head coach and general manager of the U.S. national team. "We still have some work to do but it was something in the right direction."
Last year, 108 world records were set, off the charts even in an Olympic year with all the top swimmers in peak form. The trend is still going strong in 2009, with nearly 30 records falling already — an astonishingly high number coming on the heels of the Beijing Games.
The U.S. was expected to present another proposal today that would prevent suits from covering anything beyond the shoulders or below the knees.
Crippen keeps bronze.
Francis Crippen kept his bronze medal in the 10-kilometer open water race after USA Swimming won an appeal.
The Italian team protested that Crippen should have been disqualified for swimming outside the ropes guiding contestants to the finish. FINA accepted Italy's protest after the race Wednesday but allowed the Americans to appeal. Thomas Lurz of Germany won the race, with Andrew Gemmell of the United States finishing second. Italian Valero Cleri remained fourth.
Lurz, Gemmell and Crippen will finally get their medals today after the women's 3-meter synchronized diving competition.
Source
FINA, the sport's governing body, approved a proposal backed by USA Swimming that adds two key words to a rule stating: "No swimmer shall be permitted to use or wear any device that may aid his speed, buoyancy or endurance during a competition." The new rule bars "any device or swimsuit" that aids performance.
Some suits are suspected of creating "air trapping" effects that artificially enhance speed.
The new rule comes just as Michael Phelps and Co. prepared to make a splash at the world swimming championships.
"It's still a bit unclear on how it will affect the swimsuit issue, because we still need to define what the rules are going to be," said Mark Schubert, head coach and general manager of the U.S. national team. "We still have some work to do but it was something in the right direction."
Last year, 108 world records were set, off the charts even in an Olympic year with all the top swimmers in peak form. The trend is still going strong in 2009, with nearly 30 records falling already — an astonishingly high number coming on the heels of the Beijing Games.
The U.S. was expected to present another proposal today that would prevent suits from covering anything beyond the shoulders or below the knees.
Crippen keeps bronze.
Francis Crippen kept his bronze medal in the 10-kilometer open water race after USA Swimming won an appeal.
The Italian team protested that Crippen should have been disqualified for swimming outside the ropes guiding contestants to the finish. FINA accepted Italy's protest after the race Wednesday but allowed the Americans to appeal. Thomas Lurz of Germany won the race, with Andrew Gemmell of the United States finishing second. Italian Valero Cleri remained fourth.
Lurz, Gemmell and Crippen will finally get their medals today after the women's 3-meter synchronized diving competition.
Source
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