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Thompson's Damning Indictment Of FINA's Suit Wars

Jul 23, 2009  - Craig Lord

On arrival in Rome, Alan Thompson, Australian head coach, has declared that every world record could fall as the sad swimsuit saga replaces doping as the shadow hanging over a Rome world swimming championships 15 years after Chinese cheats shamed the sport with a GDR-style attack on rivals.

Thompson confirmed that a majority of his squad would don what it takes to win these days: which is not the official  team kit Speedo LZR, after 100% polyurethane suits were allowed back into the water by FINA on June 19, a month after having been ruled unacceptable. The science fell shy of the answer it needed to a question never put: where to draw the line to make sure the sport was rid of the circus that swimming will now witness over eight days of racing at the 13th World Championships in Rome from Sunday.

Thompson fears the titles will be ruined because, as AAP reports "every record is tainted by artificial assistance just as the 1994 world titles in Rome were plagued by performances-enhancing drugs speculation".

Here is what Thompson says: "You have got to think that the majority of the championship records will be broken because the last time was in textile suits in Melbourne (2007). You have to think that will happen and you've got to think there's going to be a fair few world records broken too.

"It is probably going to be very much like it was in 1994. I think a lot of people will be thinking about a lot of things other than swimming and what is happening in the pool which is unfortunate.

"I just hope that we can try and focus on the important things in this competition, but unfortunately other things are overtaking that."

Australians have had no problems accessing suits prior to Rome - although 24 bags of their luggage went missing in transit from Manchester to Rome via Munich on Wednesday, according to AAP.

The Dolphins have yet to race in the full poly numbers they now have access too, so we can expect a few inaugural shiny suited "personal bests". 

Team leader Patrick Murphy's take: "Everything is definitely in our favour. We're probably more at an advantage I suppose, we haven't done a proper competition with the suits so who knows what we can do. You can't read into the times too much because there's a lot of people that have used them (suits) and a lot of people who haven't. It's going to be quite interesting."

The new FINA Bureau, to be elected tomorrow in Rome, meets this weekend to start to thrash out what will happen on suits in 2010, but Thompson, a despairing member of the FINA suits commission who has watched the flip-flopping of a rudderless and uncertain international federation with increasing gloom, told AAP: "What goes on in the future I've got no idea anymore. I thought I had a fair idea what was going to go on in May, but once June (FINA's decision to allow new suits) happened I've got no idea anymore. You just don't know where their thinking is going and where their direction is going.

"You don't know if some of these people have been elected based on a promise somewhere or recommendation somewhere."

A damning indictment if ever there was one.