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Showing posts from August, 2009

New Swimming World Records: Technology or Training?

Yesterday was the final day of the World Swimming Championships in Rome . In the 40 swimming events, there were 43 new world records (Records were not set in every event, but in some events they were set several times between prelims, semifinals and finals). This is amazing and unprecedented. Many give credit to the new technology of swimsuits, which give swimmers a greater buoyancy. For this reason FINA is banning these swimsuits from next year, arguing that the swimsuits are helping swimmers as swimming enhancing technology. Some even say that the swimsuits are making a mockery of the sport , being it so easy to break a world record. In one of the finals, a swimmer made a time under the old world record, but was fifth place... Well, let us note that some swimmers, e.g. Phelps, Lochte, Peirsol, were not using the latest technology in swimsuits, and nevertheless they broke world records. It is not only the swimsuits. Also, should the swimsuits be really banned? It is a complicated qu