There was plenty of drama in the world of swimming this week, resulting in a number of bans being imposed on various people and swim wear. First and foremost, Canadian swimming coach Cecil Russell has had his application for reinstatement rejected for a second time. Russell received a life time ban in 1997 for a doping infraction and initially was accepted. However under closer scrutiny by the CCES, it was found that Russell was convicted of conspiracy to possess ecstasy with intent to distribute and was sentenced to 4 years in prison in Arizona in March 2004, and as a result had the decision overturned. To the shock of many in the swimming world, some parents are still allowing Russell to coach their children.
The debate surrounding the new high tech performance enhancing swimsuits has finally been settled, well at the high school level anyway. The National Federation of State High Schools Association has officially banned the use of these super suits, effective immediately. They have also imposed tough restrictions on what swimmers can wear during competitions. Swimmers are now limited to one suit which must be permeable to both air and water and may not contain any zips or fasteners. For the boys they must not go above the waist or below the knee and for the girls it cannot go beyond the shoulders or below the knees, necks must remain bare. “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 another year,” Becky Oakes, NFHS assistant director and liaison to the swimming and Diving rules committee, said in a statement.
On a far more personal note, Speedos or the beloved ‘budgie smugglers’, an Australian icon since their introduction in 1914, has recently been banned at popular European water park Alton Towers. In a statement from management, the reason behind this ban was to help avoid embarrassment among patrons and to promote a more family friendly environment with more aesthetically pleasing and less revealing swim wear on display.
On the topic of teensy weensy swim wear, ex bay watch star Pam Anderson will be in New Zealand strutting her stuff on the catwalk to promote her new line of enviro / animal friendly swimwear during New Zealand fashion week. But the question on everyone’s lips (including her publicist) is…. will the suits be too skimpy for the casually renowned kiwis?
But it’s not all bad news this week, at the Hobart veterans swim titles some fantastic and nail biting new commonwealth records were set. New South Welshman Adam Pine carried his good form into the final of the 100m butterfly, producing a powerful finish to win in a new Commonwealth record time of 49.71 seconds and taking nearly half a second
off his own record set last year. Earlier, 30-year-old Ashley Callus set an Australian record to finish the fastest qualifier in the 50m freestyle semis, clocking in at 21.06 seconds. Queenslander Emily Seebohm won the 100m backstroke with a time of 57.47 seconds, setting a new commonwealth record, and then moments later went on to set the fastest personal time in the 100m medley and was the only swimmer to break the minute mark. Victorian Sarah Katsoulis set a new commonwealth record of 29.61 seconds in the 50m breast stroke, beating club mate Leisel Jones. Thomas Fraser-Holmes put in a mammoth effort in the 400m individual medley, prevailing over fellow competitor Leith Brodie by 3 seconds. And finally Libbie Trickett qualified fastest for the final of the 100m freestyle.
BLK1 Article: ALEX SHLEIBS
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