Australia’s Eamon Sullivan is set to keep his 50m and 100m freestyle world records after FINA launched a crackdown on hi-tech swimsuits.
The sport’s governing body ruled the super-suits used by flying Frenchmen Fred Bousquet and Alain Bernard need to be modified following their record-shattering feats at last month’s French titles.
FINA found the Arena “X-Glide” and “Jaked 01” suits worn by Bernard and Bousquet respectively need to be tinkered with to win approval for this year’s Rome world titles.
Bousquet (20.94 seconds) and Bernard (46.94s), who respectively smashed Sullivan’s (21.28s and 47.05s) 50m and 100m marks in Montpellier, have become the first victims in FINA’s blitz on swimsuit technology.
Australian head coach Alan Thompson, who is in Lausanne and part of the FINA Commission in charge of swimwear approval that has been meeting this week, said FINA’s decision meant it would be hard to ratify Bousquet and Bernard’s swims.
“You would have to think that a world record would need to be swum in a suit that is approved and not a suit that has been modified, that is only my personal opinion,” Thompson said.
After examining 348 swimsuits from 21 manufacturers, FINA has rejected 10 swimsuits, approved 202 swimsuits, and called for modifications to be made to the remaining 136.
Manufacturers have 30 days to resubmit the same swimsuit for approval with the necessary corrections.
Sullivan’s world records were set in the FINA-approved Speedo LZR Racer last year, the very suit that ignited the great debate in the sport as more than 100 world marks tumbled last year.
FINA is further tightening the screws on suit technology next year after trying to give manufacturers a little wriggle room this year.
Thompson said the sport would be close to a level playing field by next year.
“I think it is going to be as level as possible at the moment and it is certainly a lot more level than it has been and it is getting pretty close to the mark,” he said.
“I think the aim is to just smooth over the bumps by January 1.”
Some of those suits rejected by FINA included polyurethane, the controversial material used in the LZR Racer and considered one of the key factors in the times dropping.
Critics have claimed the compression and buoyancy from polyurethane helps boost speed for swimmers.
FINA did not state whether Bernard and Bousquet’s records would be annulled but it would be illogical for them to be approved.
FINA’s rulings could cause chaos for some of the world’s best swimmers with the Italian team sponsored by Jaked for the Rome world titles from July 26-August 2.
Australia’s leading swimmers Libby Trickett and Sullivan should have no problems as they are sponsored by Speedo while triple Olympic gold medallist Stephanie Rice is yet to decide which suit she’ll wear in the Eternal City.
Greg Russell
Roar Guru
Here's what I don't get: that people are allowed to compete in a swimsuit BEFORE it is approved. Shouldn't it be the other way around, i.e., that swimmers can only use a new suit once it has been approved? This seems totally illogical to me. The only thing I can think of like this is the various F1 teams (Ferrari, etc.) appealing against the rear diffuser of Brawn after the early rounds of this year's F1. But in that case there was a crucial difference: the diffuser had been approved by the FIA, but Ferrari and pals came in and asked for a reversing of that decision (which they were not granted). It also is not clear to me what the technical reason is for the Arena and Jaked suits being banned. Is it right to ban a faster swimsuit just because a lot of the big names of world swimming are sponsored by brands with slower swimsuits? What if Federer's racket sponsor produced a better tennis racket that Nadal's sponsor could not match - would it be right to ban Federer's new racket? If an athlete chooses to be sponsored by a particular company, is it not part of that territory that the athlete may have to accept equipment that is not as good as that from other companies? And what of swimmers with slower swimsuits who were beaten by Bousquet and Bernard at the French trials - doesn't FINA's decision mean that such swimmers now have a legitimate right of appeal against missing out on a place in the French team for the World Championships later this year? Perhaps there is a logic behind FINA's procedures and decision making that is not being revealed to us, but I can't guess at it!