HUNTINGTON BEACH, California, April 14. TYR announced today that it has meet FINA certification for its newest suits.
Here is the full press release from TYR:
With only a few months before the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, the ruling by FINA officials that TYR Tracer Light and Tracer Rise technical suits meet all existing certification criteria and therefore deemed legal for Olympic competition came as no surprise to TYR executive vice president and former Olympian, Steve Furniss. "TYR has made its reputation for advanced technical suits and equipment by investing in research and development, scientific and academic testing and athlete corroboration of its elite technical swimsuits. Furthermore, every suit taken to competition has been approved in advance by the relevant sanctioning body – including FINA."
The 2008 Short Course World Championship in Manchester, England resulted in two TYR swimmers shattering an American and a World Record. Mary DeScenza broke the longest standing American Record and Doug Van Wie established a new World Record with teammates in the 4×100 Relay. Peter Marshall won the 50m Backstroke at the World Championship. All wore the newest Tracer Rise and Tracer Light.
"While these athletes were demonstrating their strength and skill in the water, TYR and other companies were engaged in an equally critical test. It was our contention that while new and different forms of equipment certification testing may be called for, the suits we have worked so hard to develop for over a decade and have refined over the last four years meet all existing FINA competition standards. FINA agreed with this opinion," Furniss said.
Some competing brands had objected to TYR's elite technical swimwear and those of another company, hence the clarification meeting in Manchester.
FINA also announced the possible application of new testing protocols in the future. "We agree with this need – because the design and manufacturing technologies demanded by elite swimming are light years from what we had even four years ago. As these go forward so should any evaluation methods for equipment conformity," he added.
FINA issued a statement clarifying its position (http://www.fina.org) and publicly encouraged manufacturers to engage in the development of new testing protocols.
"We are entirely satisfied with FINA's decision – for it suggests a forward looking attitude that is rooted in a concern for swimming and athletes that we also share. TYR wants progress – but not at the expense of the sport's credibility or at the risk of excluding any athlete or the taking of any unfair advantage. It appears FINA is also looking ahead and not backwards. We commend it for this position," Furniss concluded.