PASA chief welcomes ban on body swimsuits

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Amateur Swimming Association president Mark Joseph wasn’t looking for any excuses but said he’s glad that starting next year, polyurethane-coated swimsuits will no longer have a place in the pool.

“The swimming world just got fed up with these suits. It’s like each time a swimmer breaks a record now, the next question that’s asked is ‘What suit was he wearing?’” Joseph said.

The chief of RP swimming said while he’s happy his team won four golds, six silvers and a bronze in the recently concluded SEA Games in Laos, he felt they could have done much better.

“But we couldn’t use these polyurethane suits. Why? Because it costs $900 (roughly P42,000) each. But the point is starting next year these suits will be banned,” Joseph told The STAR yesterday.

The RP tankers wore Speedo Lzr suits in Laos, the ones costing around P30,000 each, and can only watch as the others ripped meet records left and right with their expensive-but-soon-to-be banned suits.

In the 2007 SEA Games, the Philippines won eight gold, three silver and seven bronze medals in Laos, four of the golds courtesy of Miguel Molina who emerged as the Best Athlete of the SEA Games.

Less swimmers wore the polyurethane suits then.

Daniel Coakley and Ryan Arabejo were the other RP gold medalists in Laos, ruling the 50m and 1,500m freestyles, respectively, and both wins came in record fashion.

“Even in the Olympics these suits accounted for the unbelievable record-smashing. But I’m happy that we still broke the SEA Games records in our gold medal victories,” said Joseph.

“There was an event (in Laos) that even the sixth placer broke the record. And it’s because of these suits. Oh, God. But now that FINA (the international swim body) has banned, them they stopped manufacturing.”

National coach Jason Calanog of the Olympic Training Center at Bolles School said he’s proud of the way the Filipinos fared in Laos, with or without the controversial suits.

“I believe our team did very well but a lot of swimmers on other teams were helped a great deal by the new special swim suits which is why our medal count was a little lower than last time.

“I totally believe if not for the special swim suits we would have dominated. In two years the other countries better watch out. Effective Jan. 1 next year it’s going to be(fabric) from hip to knee for men, and women, shoulder to knee,” he said.