The blueseventy Nero suit is back on the FINA Approved Suit List per the release of the latest FINA announcement. You can read the press release on Swimming World Magazine, or get the blueseventy reaction from their blog post: blueseventy Body Suits Back in the Water.
The appended list, released after some additional delays, lists the suits that were approved by either re-submission with modifications, or by “arguments regarding the fact the construction or material of their swimsuits would not create air trapping effects.” (source)
The blueseventy Nero was one of the suits approved by the latter conditions. According to another article on Swimming World Magazine, found though Swim Tech Geek, “BlueSeventy called on the technical expertise of Huub Touissant of the University of Amseterdam to demonstrate that the suit does not trap air. On this basis BlueSeventy is not proposing any alterations be made to its existing suits.”
FINA’s statements regarding this, from the press release:
“…the evidence of “in use” air trapping effect is complex and that it would require considerable time to create and implement comprehensive control mechanisms and test methods which would permit to establish the effect with absolute certainty in connection with particular swimsuits … in cases where there was a reasonable doubt as to the effect, such doubt had to be taken into account in the decision concerning the respective swimsuits.” (source)
In other words, blueseventy was able to create ‘reasonable doubt’ in the testing protocol that allowed their suit to be approved without re-submission of a modified design.
The publication of an amended Approved List also coincides with the ratification of several world records. Of the records that were pending approval, one has been in limbo since February 11th. Check the FINA press release for the list of new official records.
