If all goes well at a site visit by makers Omega next week, the newly-approved backstroke start wedges will make their USA Swimming major debut at the Mesa Grand Prix in April, and be seen again at the Santa Clara Grand Prix in June.
“That is our goal,” USA Swimming Assistant Executive Director Mike Unger, and swim meet operations guru, told us today. “We are working with Omega to have them used at the Mesa and Santa Clara Arena Grand Prix meets.”
The “wedges” were approved by FINA at last summer’s new rules committee meetings in Barcelona in July, but as with any new equipment it takes some time for development to be completed, and for further testing, before it can logistically be used in competition.
The purpose of the new wedges is to give a more standardized starting foot placement for backstrokers. With different pool designs and different types (and qualities) of touch pads, it can create an inconsistent starting surface for backstrokers. The hope is that these new wedges will decrease the incidence of slips on backstroke starts, which are not uncommon even at high level meets.
With the combination of these new blocks, as well as the recent addition of vertical gripping handles, the start continues to become a more-and-more explosive part of the backstroke race.
Below are photos from demonstrations of the new wedges that Myrtha Pools and Omega developed; images are from the 2012 World Short Course Championships in Istanbul, Turkey.
Courtesy: Myrtha Pools
Courtesy: Myrtha Pools
I wonder if these will be in effect for the coming olympics in rio. Will this new starting wedge be a world wide aspect? or will only the united states have access? if it is only the united states that is getting practice with it before the olympics, it seems as though it would be an unfair advantage for teams from other countries.
ZPH – the wedges have been available worldwide for at least a year now.
Its good thing because in india most of swimming pools tiles are smooth and we boys couldn’t take good start due to more slippery of tiles.
wish it could come in india
I’m sure the majority of swimming halls in the world don’t even have the starting blocks currently used in FINA meets. Some can train with the official blocks and some don’t. By the way, is this about creating a little bit revenue for the important sponsors of FINA?
I second what Patrick Brundage said above. Why not to get rid of the whole backstroke start? A swimmer can make a normal dive start and turn himself/herself over during the underwater. This would bring new world records to grab the headlines that FINA and many others so much love.
But actually swimming needs more dramatics not less.
This is the same thing thst Phil Moriarity of Yale had in early 70’s and couldn’t get it accepted reason then given it would damage the pads. Does FINA get a royalty which makes it easier to accept? Will cause some delay in backstroke events in handling them and an education period and how do you determine how deep according to swimmers height.
At least for SCY, let’s avoid this expense and complications and go back to the 1980’s era stand up starts.
As for meters, if we just stopped using those slippery yellow Omega pads and used the nice, rough white Colorado swimming pads, we wouldn’t have to worry about this contraption.
Better yet, get rid of the in water start and just require everyone to be on their back by the 15m mark. No cost and easy to officiate.
Its great to make new things for swimming like this but can’t we all agree that instead of bringing some new unnecessary equipment in isn’t as important as other issues? Such as why it was necessary to eliminate leg skins? Now that’s an ignorant rule that should be changed.
These backstroke wedges are nothing new. Back in the late 1970’s the national high school federation that oversees swimming experimented with a removable (that’s how you keep from hitting it during turns) backstroke wedge during at least the 1978-79 school year. I was student teaching & assist coaching at Butler HS in PA and we had three of them, albeit of a bit different design. As a collegiate backstroker (who had exhausted eligibility by then) I tried it and loved it….but then, back in those days in HS swimming you could still do a “standing” backstroke start!
I’m not sure what is more irritating about this thread, people who say it won’t work or is a dumb idea without seeing it in action or people who claim to be coaches who don’t know the rules that apply to swimming.
Yikes.