Well suited to make waves
New Speedo and NASA-developed body suits are making it easier to break world swimming records. Scott Jagow talks about the suits with sports commentator and record-holding swimmer Diana Nyad, who explains how the suits work.
Spanish long-distance swimmer David Meca attempts a world-record breaking swim from the beach at Tarifa, on the southern tip of Spain. (Jose Luis Roca/AFP/Getty Images)
More on Sports
Comments
Comment | Refresh
From Herndon, VA, 07/11/2008
RE: Speedo LZR swim suits
First I have to say that Diana Nyad is incredible. I read her book "Other Shores" over 17 years ago. It was wonderfully written, a joy to read, and informative. It changed my life!
I so look forward to the times when Kai Ryssdal has Ms. Nyad on the show because her insights are fantastic.
I have to say that I'm a little disappointed in the commentary by Ms. Nyad on the new Speedo LZR suits this morning. The issue with these suits is not that they make swimmers' bodies more streamlined by holding them in. Advanced suits have been doing this since the Bellgrade suits of the 1970's.
THE issue is that the LZR has neoprene in it and it provides buoyancy. Everybody who talks/writes about this suit only discusses the streamline advantages of it. The real issue that makes it cheating is the buoyancy. It is a flotation device! World class swimmers' bodies at approximately 2% body fat are not buoyant at all. They sink if they are not moving. Having the LZR suit floats their bodies higher in the water, therefore allowing them to go faster. If Johnny Weissmuller, Mark Spitz, or Jonty Skinner would've been able to swim their events in what amounts to a wetsuit, I imagine their world record swims would've been seconds faster and lasted much longer.
If someone did a double crossing of Lake Michigan in a wet suit faster than Diana Nyad's time - it really wouldn't be the same thing would it?
Likewise, if someone hit sixty-two or more homeruns in a single major league season on steroids and with aluminum bats - it wouldn't be the same thing.
Speedo stands to make a LOT of money from these suits - every NCAA Division I team will buy hundreds of them, every affluent parent of a mediocre swimmer will buy one. Unfortunately FINA and USA Swimming have bought into these suits because in our society making money is what life is ultimately about; to heck with the purity of sport, fairness, and loving athletic competition for its own sake.
From FL, 07/11/2008
I am disappointed Kai, you said I could see what Captain Mike looks like if I logged onto marketplace.org. Unfortunately, there is no picture of the Captain...I want your advertising revenues back!
Post a Comment: Please be civil, brief and relevant.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. All comments are moderated. Marketplace reserves the right to edit any comments on this site and to read them on the air if they are extra-interesting. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting.
You must be 13 or over to submit information to American Public Media. The information entered into this form will not be used to send unsolicited email and will not be sold to a third party. For more information see Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.