he new suit rules came into effect from 1st Jan 2010 (FINA Swimwear By Law). To highlight the significance of this change and to put it in lay-man terms, the swim suit regulations in terms of texture and body coverage has gone back by a decade. The first set of full body swimwear was introduced in 2000 prior to the Sydney Olympic Games. With no more assistance from the swim suit, esp for the men, the effects have begun to show in the difference in timings clocked this year.
FINA, for reasons best known to them, have chosen to retain the World Records clocked with the now banned swim suits.
Despite this big change 2010 was a historic year for Indian swimmers. Here are some of the best moments of Indian swimming:
Rehan Poncha wins the Arjuna Award
Prasanta Karmakar (Para-swimmer) wins India's first-ever medal in swimming at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games
Virdhawal Khade and Sandeep Sejwal also created history at the Commonwealth Games by becoming the first swimmers (able bodied) to reach the finals (top 8). Virdhawal finished 7th in the Men's 50m Butterfly while Sandeep finished 8th in the Men's 50m Breaststroke.
Why is this big? Commonwealth Games is the only meet where each of the top nations in swimming can enter 3 swimmers for each event. The top swimming nations at the Commonwealth Games are: Australia, United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland), Canada and South Africa. Hence its no easy task making the top 8.
Virdhawal Khade wins India's first medal in swimming at the Asian Games after 24 years
Sharath Gayakwad became the first Indian Para-swimmer to attain the Minimum Qualification standard for the 2012 London Paralympic Games. He clocked a time of 1:20.90sec in the 100m Breaststroke and won a Bronze at the 2010 Asian Para Games.
Prasanta Karmakar won the most medals in the pool with 2 Bronze medals.
In the year end top-150 World Rankings (swimnews.com):
Virdhawal Khade
- No. 64 in the 50m Butterfly with a time of 24.31sec clocked at the Asian Games in November
- No. 105 in the 50m Freestyle with a time of 22.87sec clocked at the Asian Games in November
- No. 117 in the 100m Freestyle with a time of 50.10sec clocked at the Commonwealth Games in October
Sandeep Sejwal
- No. 104 in the 50m Breaststroke with a time of 28.58sec clocked at the Commonwealth Games in October
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