Bluey
22-06-2009, 08:58 PM
Controversial racing suits get green light. The world swimming championships will turn into a free for all next month after a stunning decision by the sport's governing body to approve close to 200 new designs of the controversial racing suits.
The decision by FINA means Australian sprint machine Eamon Sullivan will almost certainly lose his two world records in the 50m and 100m freestyle.
National head coach Alan Thompson was informed tonight and immediately contacted FINA chief Cornel Marculescu to vent his frustration.
The approval of the suits means next month’s world titles in Rome will turn into a circus with FINA bowing to commercial pressure and opening the floodgates on the controversial costumes.
Among the list of designs to be given a farcical green light, the Jaked 01 suit worn by Frenchman Fred Bousquet and the Arena X Glide worn by Olympic champion Alain Bernard.
The pair broke Sullivan’s world records but it appeared the times wouldn’t count as their suits hadn’t been approved at the French national trials.
But the staggering decision virtually guarantees the world records will stand with final ratification to be made just before the world championships.
Swimming Australia has called an urgent meeting with coaches and officials today to outline FINA’s approval process.
"I’m extremely disappointed and I have just rung Cornel to let him know my feelings," Thompson told the Herald Sun.
"We had put so much time and effort into going through a process and I feel pretty frustrated that FINA has taken this course of action.
"We haven’t got a right of appeal but it is surprising after all the constructive discussion that’s taken place only to have this happen now."
Thompson was a member of the suits commission that last Thursday made sweeping recommendations to the FINA executive.
But it’s obvious the commission’s decision to ban certain suits has been ignored by FINA who last night gave an additional 187 designs the green light for next month’s world titles.
Olympic great Grant Hackett says the sport’s credibility will be damaged by FINA’s farcical decision.
"I am all for technology but within reason and this has just gone too far and is giving athletes an unfair advantage, no doubt," the dual gold medallist said.
"It is no longer a level playing field and it’s something that should have been controlled and monitored more than a year ago. I
"It should never have got this far and FINA should have taken responsibility and exercised common sense a long time ago. Now it’s spiralling out of control and the sport is better than that."
Sullivan is competing in Europe and now faces the prospect of losing his world records after the approval of his French rivals’ suits.
A FINA meeting will almost certainly rubber stamp the new world records just before the world titles in Rome.
Hackett and Thompson believe the world records shouldn’t stand as they were set by Bousquet and Bernard prior to the suits gaining approval.
"It is pretty black and white to me that if you set a world record you need to be wearing a suit that’s been approved," Thompson said.
Hackett says it’s embarrassing new world records can count when athletes are wearing suits that need modification.
"It's like winning a race in a formula one car that is illegal and not been approved, it just wouldn’t happen and the driver would be disqualified," Hackett said.
"This is no different and yet world records set by athletes whose suits hadn’t been approved will now stand."
Manufacturers to benefit from FINA’s absurd decision include controversial designs by Jaked, Arena, and Blueseventy.
Speedo and Adidas were also given the green light for new designs to be used in Rome.
FINA is standing by its decision declaring there is no concrete scientific evidence to suggest the suits are illegal.
The governing body says air trapping cannot be proved and has dispelled doubts over the suits giving athletes an unfair advantage in aiding buoyancy.
"These suits will be available to all athletes at the world titles and it will be a level playing field," FINA chief Cornel Marculescu said.
The decision by FINA means Australian sprint machine Eamon Sullivan will almost certainly lose his two world records in the 50m and 100m freestyle.
National head coach Alan Thompson was informed tonight and immediately contacted FINA chief Cornel Marculescu to vent his frustration.
The approval of the suits means next month’s world titles in Rome will turn into a circus with FINA bowing to commercial pressure and opening the floodgates on the controversial costumes.
Among the list of designs to be given a farcical green light, the Jaked 01 suit worn by Frenchman Fred Bousquet and the Arena X Glide worn by Olympic champion Alain Bernard.
The pair broke Sullivan’s world records but it appeared the times wouldn’t count as their suits hadn’t been approved at the French national trials.
But the staggering decision virtually guarantees the world records will stand with final ratification to be made just before the world championships.
Swimming Australia has called an urgent meeting with coaches and officials today to outline FINA’s approval process.
"I’m extremely disappointed and I have just rung Cornel to let him know my feelings," Thompson told the Herald Sun.
"We had put so much time and effort into going through a process and I feel pretty frustrated that FINA has taken this course of action.
"We haven’t got a right of appeal but it is surprising after all the constructive discussion that’s taken place only to have this happen now."
Thompson was a member of the suits commission that last Thursday made sweeping recommendations to the FINA executive.
But it’s obvious the commission’s decision to ban certain suits has been ignored by FINA who last night gave an additional 187 designs the green light for next month’s world titles.
Olympic great Grant Hackett says the sport’s credibility will be damaged by FINA’s farcical decision.
"I am all for technology but within reason and this has just gone too far and is giving athletes an unfair advantage, no doubt," the dual gold medallist said.
"It is no longer a level playing field and it’s something that should have been controlled and monitored more than a year ago. I
"It should never have got this far and FINA should have taken responsibility and exercised common sense a long time ago. Now it’s spiralling out of control and the sport is better than that."
Sullivan is competing in Europe and now faces the prospect of losing his world records after the approval of his French rivals’ suits.
A FINA meeting will almost certainly rubber stamp the new world records just before the world titles in Rome.
Hackett and Thompson believe the world records shouldn’t stand as they were set by Bousquet and Bernard prior to the suits gaining approval.
"It is pretty black and white to me that if you set a world record you need to be wearing a suit that’s been approved," Thompson said.
Hackett says it’s embarrassing new world records can count when athletes are wearing suits that need modification.
"It's like winning a race in a formula one car that is illegal and not been approved, it just wouldn’t happen and the driver would be disqualified," Hackett said.
"This is no different and yet world records set by athletes whose suits hadn’t been approved will now stand."
Manufacturers to benefit from FINA’s absurd decision include controversial designs by Jaked, Arena, and Blueseventy.
Speedo and Adidas were also given the green light for new designs to be used in Rome.
FINA is standing by its decision declaring there is no concrete scientific evidence to suggest the suits are illegal.
The governing body says air trapping cannot be proved and has dispelled doubts over the suits giving athletes an unfair advantage in aiding buoyancy.
"These suits will be available to all athletes at the world titles and it will be a level playing field," FINA chief Cornel Marculescu said.