SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers if they believe teams should wear tech suits for dual meets, or stick with practice suits until taper:
Question: Should NCAA teams suit up for dual meets?
RESULTS
- Yes – 67.4%
- No – 32.6%
Controversy was stirred up last week when the University of Cincinnati withdrew from its dual meet against West Virginia, reportedly due to a disagreement about whether or not the teams would wear technical racing suits during the competition.
The Bearcats didn’t want to wear racing suits, and the Mountaineers did, ultimately leading to Cincinnati opting not compete at all rather than just wearing practice suits at a disadvantage.
There was quite the reaction to Cincinnati’s decision to withdraw, including WVU assistant coach Sydney Pickrem calling it a “huge disappointment for our swimmers” on Instagram.
In addition to teams trending more towards wearing racing suits year-round than they have in recent memory, we’re also beginning to see a change of philosophy in several programs, most notably Arizona State the past few seasons.
Instead of digging themselves in a big training hole and swimming relatively slow in competition throughout most of the season, saving it all for the NCAA Championships in March, we’re starting to see more and more teams race fast every time they hit the water.
Those programs that have shifted that philosophy are almost certainly wearing racing suits in every competition, while some, using Cincinnati as an example, prefer not to wear tech suits outside of a select few meets per year, maybe their mid-season invite, conference championships and NCAAs.
This led us to our most recent poll question, should teams wear tech suits in dual meets?
More than two-thirds of voters, 67.4%, said yes, teams should be wearing race suits in dual meets, while 32.6% say no.
There’s certainly arguments on both sides.
For one, racing in a practice suit not only puts you at an immediate disadvantgae—we should be trying to go as fast as possible while competing, right? Opting for a tech suit simulates how you’ll feel in a race that truly matters, can aid in body position while fatigued, and can act as a good confidence-booster.
On the other hand, some believe that saving the race suit for a particular taper meet can elevate performance significantly more if you haven’t worn it all year. Your feel for the water is enhanced, sometimes giving you a sense that you’re gliding on top of the water after previously having to battle through in a practice suit all year.
Of course, different programs will have different philosophies, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer. This is an ongoing debate that will continue to evolve over time, but it seems things are trending towards racing fast all season with tech suits than ever before.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: Does Chris Guiliano put the Longhorn men over the top?
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I guess another pro is that you don’t have to look at the obnoxious cuts of the women’s suits anymore. Save the full moon for the actual moon.
Make dual meets as fun as possible. And fast is fun. Swim 100IM. Throw in occasional stroke 50s. Do anything to save the sport in college through engagement.
Suiting up is not feasible for anything but d1. As a d2 swimmer I know most schools can’t afford to give there whole roster two tech suits for a course of a 10-12 meet season. That would well exceed any budget.
My mid level mid major D1 swimmer gets one a year for conference and wears it again at the next year’s mid season.
100% truth
I would have voted “I don’t care” if that had been an option. Everyone is talking about the cost, but are teams actually saying it’s a problem?
I am not sure that I agree with this (I get that it was presented as another viewpoint). Why not race in the suit that you are going to race at end of year.
The though of the we should hold off until the end of the year doesn’t make as much sense as it did in the old… Read more »
Consider this: Are all swimmers able to afford technical suits to race in every meet? Do the schools provide them all season? They are expensive and hopefully the schools provide them.
These kids wear them from age 13-18 throughout their club years. They can wear one they have the whole season and the team can provide them at championships (and they can wear those the following year). Only issue is if they rip one – they’d have the cost burden .
The philosophy seems personal to me.
However if you have the money for tech suits for everyone, why not race fast for every swim?
Pickerm acknowledging it’s a “Huge disappointment” when people withdraw from competing is absolute peak irony. Truly astonishing to me she posted that.
From an athlete who withdrew from an individual Olympic event she qualified to race in 2021, who withdrew from multiple ISL races last minute costing her team negative points, who withdrew from a world championship team a couple months out of competition, and who was the first swimmer (to the best of my knowledge) to withdraw 50 meters into a world championship final.
“withdraw 50 meters into a world championship final” LOL 🤣
Please pick one username and stick to it in any given thread. Thanks!
lol why the dislikes this seems pretty uncontroversial?
The person is using a VPN to leave multiple comments so I’m sure that they can figure out how to use a VPN to leave multiple votes.
Student-athletes have groupchats where they coordinate this kind of thing as well.
I’m not stressed by it. I always said that people put way too much stock into the intent behind upvotes and downvotes.
Embrace the downvote especially from the cretins down under.