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Suit Makers Seek Full Legs To Stand On In 2010

Jul 26, 2009  - Craig Lord

Guess what? Suit makers want the FINA executive to block the wishes of 168 member nations so that they can sell suits with full legs throughout 2010 before a final cut back in 2011.

Surprise, surprise. SwimNews understands from sources connected to the aquatic superpowers that Speedo is appealing against the decision of Congress on the following basis:

- it has made far more FS Pro's with full legs than it has jammers and needs to sell those garments in order to raise the money to roll more jammers off its production line. 

Speedo, we understand, want the FINA executive to delay granting Congress its wish and execution of the motion it voted for overwhelmingly, until September 2010. Only then would it feel commercially comfortable with a cut back to shorts for men and shoulder strap to shorts for women. 

Good that Speedo is will straight away to kill off its LZR and return to the use of a textile garment available in 2007. The trouble is, how can FINA be seen to favour the commercial interests of one company when others are being told: remake your entire company because what you make now will not be acceptable from January 1, 2010.

FINA should honour the wish of Congress. It has no choice, unless it is wedded to being perceived as holding the interests of some suit makers above those of swimmers, and unless it is wedded to its status in 2008-09 as a federation lacking integrity and no longer serious about seeing fair play in the race pool. 

There will always be one suit maker or another who says that it needs a little more time to adjust, a little more time to sell stock. Just as millions around the world have had to tighten their belts at a time of global economic downturn, so FINA should bite the bullet on Tuesday and make a clean cut - by insisting that the suit makers do the same.