Records are made to be broken
2008-07-07
Nikki Dryden
The suits are here to stay
It seems that every swimming writer has weighed in on the bodysuit debate, and to be honest it is getting a bit tired. When the first question in every press conference is about the suits, one has to wonder aren't there more pressing issues to consider? (Doping for example). However, as a swimmer I have been racing in a bodysuit since its debut over a decade ago (and was one of the first lucky swimmers to try out the LZR back in April) so I might as well throw my hat in the ring.

Yes bodysuits are faster. Whether it is the LZR or the hottest un-talked about suit the Blueseventy worn by Olympian Gil Stovall, and American record breakers Lara Jackson and Ben Hesen, bodysuits seem to help even more when one is unshaved and untapered. However, there are many other technical advancements outside of the pool that can account for dropping times. In Omaha, Matt Biondi had this to say about the suits, "Technology is a part of sports, tennis rackets of [the past] are different than they are today...So we will always see changes."

It is certainly clear from the US Olympic Trials that the people who broke World Records would probably have done so in the FS-Pro or even the old school Aquablade. While it was amazing to see 9 World Records broken in Omaha, that total ranks 3rd best (behind 14 in '72 and 12 in '68) and just 3 more than the '04 Trials.

Swimming across all countries is more competitive today than it ever has been. Swimmers must be at their best, or better to even get to the Olympic Games. This year's 29 World Records can be racked up to dozens of factors, including doping, which can never be left out of the equation. Perhaps the latest crop of cheaters have been patiently waiting for just such a distraction to really ratchet up their fraudulent performances. World Records will ebb and flow as we are besieged by cheaters and then spend years recovering from the records they have set. By focusing on the suit we detract from other possibilities for recent breakthroughs, both good and bad.

The idea that we need to restart the list of World Records since the launch of the LZR Racer is absurd. We didn't restart the list when the backstroke turns were changed or the breaststroke dolphin kick was allowed. "World records today and from yesteryear are no different," said Biondi. "It is still the fastest ever in the event of all time. To witness that is something special and it translates immediately as a statement of excellence."

Records are made to be broken. The bodysuits are here to stay. I can't wait to see a lot more of both in Beijing.