A word from Swim BC on high performance swim suits
So, there’s this great deal on a Jaked or LZR on ebay….
Don’t do it! Don’t do it!! Just walk away. Nothing to see here, folks. Just keep on moving…
Ya see, by now, most are probably aware that FINA as decreed that effective January 1, 2009, those fancy, schmancy super-suits (Jaked, LZR, Arena X-Glide, et al.) will be banned, and in place will be new suit rules which should return the sport back to being about swimming, and not about what suit you’re wearing, what fits, or what you can afford.
The main points:
Men’s suits will be only be allowed to extend no higher than waist and no lower than above knees
Women’s suits will similarly be limited at knee-length and the upper portion of the suit can’t cover shoulders
No zips, snaps, or other fastening devices
Materials must be “textiles” (i.e., no rubbery stuff) and permeable (water flows through it)
So – all of that is going into effect from FINA’s standpoint as of January 1, 2010.
However, some national federations, including Swimming Canada, are looking at implementing these new rules for their domestic competitions as early as now (like, effective September 1, 2009). And while we can’t confirm this right now, just take my word for it that you probably would want to caution your swimmers against buying one of these suits, regardless of what a killer deal it might be, because they probably (almost definitely) won’t be allowed to use it in any competitions, at least none in Canada.
