Saturday, August 29, 2009

Links Updated; Follow on Twitter

The links on the right toolbar to past results from the state meet are now all functional - before some of the results were not uploaded properly. Also, the blog will now be posting updates on Twitter, follow it here. I don't know much about Twitter, so I'm not exactly sure how it will all work on there as well as here, but any suggestions are welcome.

Monday, August 24, 2009

NFHS: High-Tech Suits Banned

In my first update from Charleston, SC, the NFHS has officially banned high-tech swimsuits. In a press release dated August 11, 2009, it was determined that...
Effective immediately, swimmers shall be limited to one swimsuit, which shall be constructed of a woven/knit textile material, permeable to water and air, constructed so as not to aid in buoyancy, and shall not contain zippers or other fastening systems. In addition, the suit shall be constructed so that the style/shape for males shall not extend above the waist or below the top of the kneecap and for females shall not extend beyond the shoulders or below the top of the kneecap, and it shall not cover the neck.
Becky Oates, NFHS assistant director and liaison to the Swimming and Diving Rules Committee commented:
These high-tech suits had fundamentally altered the sport and become more similar to equipment, rather than a uniform. The rules of swimming have always prohibited the use or wearing of items that would aid in the swimmer's speed and/or buoyancy. The technical suits and styles had evolved to a point where there was little, if any, compliance with these basic rules...With new developments in the swimming community, the committee knew that in order to preserve the integrity, tradition and heritage of the sport, as well as protect and enhance the interscholastic swimming program, these new requirements were necessary to promote fair play and the educational values of high school and could not wait for another year. The immediate implementation date, including style, will help guarantee fairness in competition throughout the high school swimming seasons and allow meet officials to fairly and consistently enforce the rule.

For more on this, visit the NFHS rule change site here.

This should prove interesting for this season's state meet, considering many of last year's unprecedentedly fast times were recorded in suits that (while maybe not as extreme as some of those at the recent World Championships) will no longer be legal.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Follow the Blog on Facebook

Check out Delaware High School Swimming Blog on Facebook. Become a fan to receive updates on Facebook. Twitter coming soon? (I have no idea how to use Twitter, so we'll see about that).