Brazil's Olympic Committee says Shanghai starting blocks are too expensive to buy: Swimming News
The Brazil's Olympic Committee has replied to the coach of Cesar Cielo, Alberto Silva, that the Shanghai starting blocks are too expensive for the committee to purchase and they cannot buy these blocks before the World Championships.
The committee said that it is impossible for them to purchase a full set of these blocks, as they will purchase only a single piece before the 2012 London Olympics.
Ricardo de Moura, of the Confederacao Brasileira de Desportos Aquaticos (CBDA) explained that newest Omega Blocks are highly expensive than their previous models and are out of the reach of Brazilian Committee of Aquatics Sports.
Recently, coach to the Olympic star, Alberto has raised his concern over the inefficiency of CBDA to provide the facility of latest starting blocks to Cielo. He said that Cielo is going to defend his title at the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai this
July and the non-availability of starting blocks, which are going to be used in Shanghai, will work as a weapon against the Brazilian star.
Silva stressed that international swimmers are only able to win over each other with the help of small competitive edges, but this is a serious problem. Cielo, who has been using the similar type of starting blocks at the National Aquatic Centre, can face
some serious problems while defending titles at Shanghai in July.
Cielo, who earned the title of 50m freestyle for the first time at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio, has remained undisputed in the 50m event. Then, he earned the title of 50m freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Olympics along with the bronze medal of 100m freestyle.
Later, Cielo defended his title of the 50m event at the 2009 World Championships in Rome and earned another gold medal of the 100m freestyle. The following year, he defended his titles at the 2010 World Short Course Championships in Dubai while at the 2010
Pan Pacific Championships, he occupied a silver medal and a bronze medal in the 50m and 100m freestyle respectively.
Alberto stressed that availability of the latest starting blocks plays a vital role in building a player’s confidence for a particular event. Now, Brazilian swimmers are using a prototype of the new Omega ramps but Silva explains that latest blocks have
a different slope.
Furthermore, Brazilian committee stays on its decision of hesitating in the purchase of new Omega Blocks. The committee has justified its decision by focusing on the cost efficiency of the budget whereas, the Brazilian coach considers this act as foolishness.
Now, the 24-year-old Cesar will have his only chance to familiarise with the latest starting blocks before 2012 London Olympics, where he will practice on new block at the Brazil’s 2012 London base.
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