Let's Go For A Dip

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Alexia
Posts: 3001
Joined: Sat 01 Oct, 2005 17.50

Anyone else bored with the constant whinging and whining coming out of the swimming world about these supposed new high-tech suits?

Other sports have embraced technology to improve and help the respective athlete go faster, or higher, or stronger or the like: footballs, football boots, football shirts, rugby shirts, rugby balls, snooker balls, snooker tables, Formula One cars, running shoes, golf clubs, basketballs, tennis balls, tennis / squash racquets, racing cycles and cycling clothing, boxing gloves, sailing boats, gymnastics equipment, javelins, canoes, skis and skipoles, bobsleighs... well that's all I can think of for the moment, but I'm sure there's more.

So why, now that swimmers are able to go faster, is there such a stink being kicked up? If it's because of lack of availability of the suits for all, the quicker they are accepted as the norm, the more widespread they will become. I'm not sure what the answer is myself, but I feel that just because something has been invented that enables a lot of swimmers to go faster all of a sudden it doesn't mean it's a bad thing.

The worst thing was when Michael Phelps said he would never race again (until the suits were banned) after he was beaten for the first time in 15 months, having benefited surely from technological advances in swimsuit technology himeslf. He then went on to win the next day wearing a 50% polyutherane suit.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_s ... 161867.stm
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Jenny
Posts: 242
Joined: Wed 20 Aug, 2003 23.29

The obvious answer is to make them do it in the nude. This would surely improve the sport for spectators as well.
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Sput
Posts: 7547
Joined: Wed 20 Aug, 2003 19.57

Sometimes both happen...
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Knight knight
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DVB Cornwall
Posts: 519
Joined: Fri 24 Jun, 2005 21.42

Phelps said nothing of the sort.... It was his coach having a hissy fit.
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Inspector Sands
Posts: 368
Joined: Wed 25 Aug, 2004 00.37
Location: London

Alexia wrote: The worst thing was when Michael Phelps said he would never race again (until the suits were banned) after he was beaten for the first time in 15 months, having benefited surely from technological advances in swimsuit technology himeslf. He then went on to win the next day wearing a 50% polyutherane suit.
Phelp's stand against the new suits isn't really a moral one though... he's sponsored by a rival swimwear company!
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marksi
Posts: 1892
Joined: Wed 07 Jan, 2004 05.38
Location: Donaghadee

Sput wrote:Sometimes both happen...
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That's no failure in my mind.
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TG
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Joined: Sat 18 Mar, 2006 00.32
Location: Chandler's Ford

Easy access...? 8-)
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Finn
Posts: 614
Joined: Sun 06 Nov, 2005 17.02
Location: Manchester

TG wrote:Easy access...? 8-)
Wishful thinking?
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Gavin Scott
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Joined: Fri 15 Aug, 2003 13.16
Location: Edinburgh
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Neil Green wrote:
TG wrote:Easy access...? 8-)
Wishful thinking?
Well duh.

;)
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Finn
Posts: 614
Joined: Sun 06 Nov, 2005 17.02
Location: Manchester

Gavin Scott wrote:Well duh.

;)
I tend to forget how few straight men there are on Metropol... ;)
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Sput
Posts: 7547
Joined: Wed 20 Aug, 2003 19.57

Fear not, Nicky Campbell has ruined it for you by wearing one http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_s ... 184526.stm
Knight knight
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