Probably for the same reason FINA outlawed them for swim races - they are a separate “device” and not part of a suit or a wetsuit. FINA allows gripper type things on fullsuits, but considered the bands as being not part of a suit. I really don’t know. I just asked Charlie, he and his committe discussed it, and the end result is that they are illegal. If you want, feel free to ask him what his rationale is.
So, a little ingenious design work and we have full-length, detachable sleeves to a speedsuit or one-piece tri suit or a tri-top. Now, they’re part of the outfit - legal - and then removed for cycle/run. Legal, because they’re no longer separate. Either that or goggles become illegal, too.
OK, just having fun with this.
The whole point of the bands is that they are not attached to the top so that you don’t have to worry about decreased elbow or shoulder flexibility, gathering, gapping, etc… I think someone should come up with like a spray on coating that you put on your forearms before the swim that accomplishes the same thing. I don’t see how that could ever be illegal.
Just out of curiousity I actually contacted Charlie Crawford, USAT Commissioner of Officials, figuring that what he says would pretty much settle the issue of legality. He was unware of these new arm bands, so I guess those Tyr ads aren’t too effective after all. More importantly, he and his committee have determined that Tyr Aquabands are illegal for use in USAT sanctioned events. Guess I won’t haev to worry about how dorky one might look in just a T1 bibjohn and arm bands!
Charlie was “unware (sp) of these new arm bands”, yet he deemed them “illegal for use in USAT sanctioned events”? How can you just deem something illegal if you’re not aware of them?
Next question… does he deem illegal the full-length Speedo suits? It seems to me that the only difference is that the Speedo ones are attached and the Tyr ones have a gap from the elbow to the shoulders.
He was unAware of them before I asked him if they would be ok and then he and his committee looked into them and made their decision.
As far as the full-length suits, maybe someone else can ask him. I would guess what his answer would be and that his reasoning would be the same as FINA’s was in the swimming world.
He was unAware of them before I asked him if they would be ok and then he and his committee looked into them and made their decision.
As far as the full-length suits, maybe someone else can ask him. I would guess what his answer would be and that his reasoning would be the same as FINA’s was in the swimming world.
Well, that sounds like a pretty quick investigation.
FINA’s “reasoning” was purely political… Speedo’s money talked louder.
Perhaps a new PED that thickens your hair. I mean, thick as a dog or bear or (ahem) beaver. Then you shave off what you don’t want, leaving big thick hair on your forearms that will grab more water.
It took him a week to reply to me. Seems like a reasonable length of time to me.