Michael Phelps

[ChadTower]

From what I read a month or so ago, it's just the speedo suit that achieves a certain level of buoyancy. 

It's not buoyancy that is the advantage.  It is reduction of friction with the water.  Reduced friction = less work to pass through it.  The suit is like a teflon coating.

mark, put your damn pants back on.  No one, not me or shardian, said he isn't the best right now.  Maybe you should go back and read what we're saying again before going off like that.

[Hemi]

Do you realize the small degree of changes these guys are willing to try to get some kind of an advantage. As if shaving your leg and chest hair is really going to help them out to reduce friction while swimming. It's kinda silly. 

[markrvp]

mark, put your damn pants back on.  No one, not me or shardian, said he isn't the best right now.  Maybe you should go back and read what we're saying again before going off small cocked like that.

I feel very confident my rooster is bigger than yours.  Have you seen my wife?

[ChadTower]

I feel very confident my rooster is bigger than yours.  Have you seen my wife?

This thread is worthless without pics.

I concede to mark mostly because his point is very sharp.

[shardian]

My contention is not that he is winning because of the pool or the suit. My contention is that the OVERALL TIMES of competitors are FASTER because of BETTER ENGINEERING.

He is breaking world records by seconds. Hell, half the field is usually swimming above WR pace.

[ChadTower]

My contention is not that he is winning because of the pool or the suit. My contention is that the OVERALL TIMES of competitors are FASTER because of BETTER ENGINEERING.

He is breaking world records by seconds. Hell, half the field is usually swimming above WR pace.

Same here.  It's not just Phelps that is benefitting from this.  It is all of them.

[ChadTower]

But what value is a record when the circumstances change so much?  Relative to your peers at that event, yes, you've won.  But relative to other venues?

That's pretty much my point.  We know these people are swimming faster but we don't necessarily know they are swimming better than the previous record holders.

[Namco]

Do you realize the small degree of changes these guys are willing to try to get some kind of an advantage. As if shaving your leg and chest hair is really going to help them out to reduce friction while swimming. It's kinda silly. 

In High School, even the water polo kids would not only shave, but also sandpaper their skin a bit too. The difference between a hairy swimmer and a shaved one is dramatic, I'm talking double digit percentages better.

As far as the suit, most male swimmers in the butterfly didn't use them because of the nature of the stroke.

[ChadTower]

Many triathletes do it too if they aren't wearing a wetsuit.  The difference is even bigger over triathlon distances.