New Photos, Japanese Trials and more LZR News
Photo credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Photo credit: Al Bello/Getty Images
In other news, Kosuke Kitajima won the 100m Breaststroke at Japanese Trials this morning with a time of 59.67. Easily the fastest time of the night and the only swimmer under a minute, but not quite enough to overtake his National Record or challenge Brendan's World Record. He's obviously in fighting shape and I'll be watching the 200 Breaststroke results later in the week with great interest.
And finally, the Austin American Statesman weighs in on the LZR suit controversy with some quotes from our Texas guys.
However, Mark Schubert, head coach for USA Swimming, said recently that U.S. swimmers who were using another brand than Speedo had backed the wrong horse, and could be at a big disadvantage at the United States' Olympic swim trials.
"I just heard about Mark's comments last night. Obviously, it was a surprise to a lot of us," Hansen said, adding that the new suits are a hot topic among U.S. swimmers sponsored by Nike.
In addition to Hansen, who won gold, silver and bronze medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and Peirsol, who won three golds at those Games, the swoosh swimmers include Kaitlin Sandeno, Jason Lezak, Whitney Myers, Cullen Jones and Maritza Correia. The veteran Lezak has won four Olympic relay medals, and Sandeno won a gold, silver and bronze in Athens.
On Tuesday, Myers said, "I want to show it's not about the suit, it's the person in it. ... The suit is not going to make you a superstar."
Hansen said, "I grew up believing that when I wore pump shoes I was going to run faster and jump higher, and it's very much that same aspect. I've looked at the research done on both suits, I've done testing on both suits and I don't see a difference."
Hansen said his Nike suit is so tailored that when people ask him what size it is he replies, "Brendan."
"The same guys that built this (Nike) suit are the same guys that built Lance Armstrong's racing suit," he said.
Ian Crocker, who uses the new Speedo, said, "I think they (Speedo designers) have hit the mark better than they ever have before."
Crocker said that even if the LZR Racer is not really faster, it could give a swimmer a psychological edge. "If you think you have a faster suit, then you do," he said.
No one denies that the Speedo suit has at least one thing going for it: timing. It was released in an Olympic year, when swimmers aim to swim their fastest. Some countries, such as Australia, have already had their Olympic trials, which resulted in a rash of world records.
Hansen said there's also a numbers game at work - that more records have been set by swimmers wearing Speedos because Speedo has more swimmers. The Nike swimmers will have their chance to set world records this June at the U.S. Olympic swim trials in Omaha, Neb.
"I'm going to train as hard as I can and if I have to wear board shorts on the block I'm going to wear board shorts and still win," Hansen said. "The last thing I worry about going into a race is the suit."
In spite of Schubert's comments, Sandeno said she would not switch suits because Nike had been very supportive of her.
Hansen joked that "I'm owned by Nike head to toe," but said that if U.S. men's Olympic coach Eddie Reese told him to switch suits, he would have to think seriously about it.
Labels: 2008 Japanese Trials, Photos, Speedo LZR Suit
posted by Michelle at
4/16/2008 07:08:00 AM
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