Water Polo/Diving queries

[Bede735]

I've been watching some of the swimming at the Commonwealth Games where the men wear knee length jammers and the women also wear their costumes down to the knees. At the level of course the suits are designed so that swimmers can swim a fraction faster.

So, why don't Water Polo players wear jammers, as there must be times where they have to sprint to pick up a loose ball?

In Diving, the medium of resistance is air, so it must be better to wear less. So, why don't women wear bikinis, especially as in athletics now where they more or less do?

[Swimmboy]

I suspect water polo players prefer brief suits because they spend much of their time doing 'egg-beater' kicking, where the legs move in a circular pattern so they can hold position near the guy they are covering. That leg motion is very different from swimmer kicking, so jammers reaching almost to the knees would likely restrict that circular leg movement. At some meets where you see swimmers wearing jammers, you will see a breaststroker wearing briefs because the breaststroke kick has an inward-outward circular motion and for some guys, the brief suit is more comfortable.

[California Dolphin]

I knew the noxious idea of extending jammers to W-Polo would come up sooner or later.

I don't buy the "faster" rational for wearing jammers and they're just an excuse to encourage men to cover their upper legs.

Why are men's casual "shorts" all knee length when there's absolutely no advantage? Does knee length coverage have less air resistance than bare legs and that helps them walk faster?

Jammers are nothing but an irritating encumbrance to leg movement and there's no advantage to wearing them for swimming, running, or W-Polo.

[SwimTeamSpeedo]

Swimmboy is right on point. In polo, the briefs allow way more freedom and there is also less material for other opponents to grab onto. Jammers would get ripped easily.

I don't think girls bikinis would work in diving. We'd end up with lots of naked divers in the water.

[Byron]

LOL - CD is right so the sooner Bede's post is hidden the better (no knowing who might read such blasphemy).
I would however add to Swimmboy's explanation of different kick requirements for water polo players.
Swimmers need the greatest speed in as perfect a straight line as possible - sometimes as sprint but also for longer distances of several pool lengths - and
there is nothing to obstruct them as in water polo. The results at the final wall touch can be determined by differences of fractions of a second and I too have seen only jammers in the men's swim events of the current Games.*

As for the girls I do not know what/if anything has been discussed on the aero-and/or hydro-dynamics of a two-piece suit.

*remember mens diving to come 2nd August - prelims 10.40 and finals 18.30 GMT (plus 1 BST)

[Byron]

Cannot find any caption to go with this pic. but it would seem to be a young diver in training somewhere (I would say a gym with fall mattress but rows of plastic chairs are inappropriate). Colours and brand of suit I also cannot recognise - so any bright suggestions out there on what/who/where/when?
https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/...53185297_n.jpg

(clue : abdominal Olympic rings are shown but tattoo would be newly applied it seems)