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Since some of my followers are still confused, I looked up FINA's regulations for lane ropes/dividers ( https://resources.fina.org/fina/document/2021/01/19/da8798f0-e89f-4e8c-9e21-5452c16a55dd/fina_swimming_pool_certificate_guide_february_2020_1.pdf). The highlighted part of FR 2.6.1 is what drives me the craziest, but... none of the tournaments in Free! seem to follow FR 2.6.2 & FR 2.6.3 either? 
https://twitter.com/rintervention/status/1385795029692817408
https://twitter.com/rintervention/status/1385795029692817408
The thing is, the different colours are supposed to make it easier for spectators to tell the swimmers apart during races. The swimmers seeded in lane 4 & 5 are the fastest of the pack (=> based on previous performances), so that's generally where the best action takes place!
Since Free! takes care to make the characters more recognisable by having some of their hair stick out of their swim caps, I think it's a little odd that they don't use different colours for the lane dividers... 
Is it harder to animate that way, maybe?
Is it harder to animate that way, maybe?
Kyoani-san did actually get the colours right in S2E12, though! Since the lane dividers in that episode seem to match Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre's regular "day off" set? (They only seem to bring out the FINA-approved set for competitions, like in the 2nd image!)
(They only seem to bring out the FINA-approved set for competitions, like in the 2nd image!)
LASTLY, the lane dividers don't just exist to... divide the lanes. 
I think the ones used for competitions are more expensive (since they're also designed to reduce cross-lane wake interference, etc!), so that's probably why swimming pools don't use them during regular days.
I think the ones used for competitions are more expensive (since they're also designed to reduce cross-lane wake interference, etc!), so that's probably why swimming pools don't use them during regular days.
P.S. It's going to bother me forever that Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre had their FINA regulated lane dividers out while we were there in October 2019, right? HAHAHAHA. I DON'T CARE. IT'S FINE. I'M FINE.
...I NEED TO GO BACK!!!
I DON'T CARE. IT'S FINE. I'M FINE....I NEED TO GO BACK!!!
P.P.S. My local Olympic-sized pool actually has an odd mix for regular days? They're ALL yellow like in Free! tournaments, but they do have the 15 and 25 metre markers from FR 2.6.2 and FR 2.6.3 (although I guess those would be the hardest to animate?)...
BEFORE I SHUT UP, I just want to finish this thread with my dorky face. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
