Swimmers call for rules over hi-tech suits
- 00:02:24
- ITN
Swimmers call for rules over hi-tech suits
The controversy over revolutionary bodysuits in swimming is threatening to overshadow the world championships. Top male swimmers are thought to be so frustrated by the row they are threatening to use their old trunks and finish last if it means they keep their credibility. Last month, swimming's world governing body Fina approved the new costumes after months of wrangling to try to create some clarity ahead of the Rome world championships, which start in three weeks. But arguments over the suits, which have contributed to more than 100 world records in the past 18 months, have intensified rather than died down since Fina's decision. "It's kind of got to the point where it's more about the swimwear than it is about the swimmer, although the swimmer has to do the business in the swimwear," Britain's former multiple world record holder Mark Foster said. "The guy that broke the world record in the 50 freestyle went 21.5 in a Speedo suit, he's now doing 20.9 in a Jaked suit. I've trained for ten years to improve by 0.1 of a second." At the centre of the controversy are new suits which are totally covered with polyurethane to aid buoyancy. The old suits only had polyurethane plates. The all-polyurethane Jaked 01, worn by Frederick Bousquet when he broke the 50m freestyle world record at the French championships in April, was left off a previous Fina list of approved costumes but featured in the latest update. However, Alain Bernard's 100m freestyle record set at those championships, where he became the first man to break the 47 seconds barrier with 46.94, has not been ratified because he was wearing an Arena suit which had not been approved. The rulings have left swimmers confused. Beijing Olympic double gold medallist Rebecca Adlington, also wants to see a fairer approach in the sport. "There needs to be rules put into place so everybody is on the same level playing field," she said. "Everybody should have the same advantage. It was only ten years ago that we were in normal costumes and trunks and now the technology has gone sky high, but that was always going to happen, technology was always going to be there, I think there just needs to be stricter rules in place to stop people having advantages with suits rather than their abilities as a swimmer."
ITN | July 3, 2009
