FAST+SWIMSUITS

**FAST SWIMSUITS**
====The technology of racing swimsuits advanced considerably from 2000. Manufacturers competed to produce suits with the most performance-enhancing features while staying within the competition rules of not improving buoyancy. For example, the features of the Speedo LZR Racer, approved and worn by the medal-winning swimmers at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, included:==== Issues of fairness and equity were raised. Some suggested that swimmers who wore the fast suits had a significant advantage over other swimmers who could not afford them. Others saw the technology as a natural progression in the sport and used the example of the cyclists' aerodynamic helmet shape, which was launched controversially at the 1984 Olympics but is now standard equipment worn by all racing cyclists. The debate escalated in mid-2009 when a new range of suits was introduced, made from all-polyurethane fabric that significantly improved buoyancy. Swimming's governing body, FINA, acknowledged that the technology had gone too far and imposed a ban from 2010 on â€˜any device or swimsuit that may aid speed, buoyancy or enduranceâ€™. This was not before a large number of world records were broken at the 2009 World Championships by some swimmers wearing the all-polyurethane full-body suits. New rules from 2010 specify the type of textile and the shape of the suits for men and women. Use the **FINA**weblink to access the latest rules and restrictions [] Return to Swimming page
 * fabric that had the lowest possible level of friction drag in the water, developed using NASA's wind tunnel technology
 * a streamlined shape with a corset-like support around the lower torso to help swimmers hold the best position in the water
 * fully bonded seams to reduce drag while allowing full movement and flexibility.