In competitive swimming, the margin between first and fourth place can be measured in fractions of seconds, so swimmers and coaches look to swimsuits for any possible advantage in the water. Originally just a concession to modesty, swimsuits have evolved into expensive high-tech gear that until recently played a decisive role in determining who won races and who broke world records.
Goal
The goal of swim coaches and swimsuit manufacturers alike is to minimize drag and friction in the water. As a swimmer, your body and movements create drag by the turbulence formed as you move through water. Any wrinkles, bulges or saturated fabrics create friction against water, increasing resistance and slowing you down. Hydrodynamics, or the study of motion in water, also influences swimsuit design. Attaining a streamlined shape requires excellent technique and body position in the water. Tightly fitting suits with sturdy reinforced panels help guide a less than perfect physique into a more sleek shape.
High-Tech Suits
In 2008, the first generation of high-tech suits made their debut. Speedo even partnered with NASA in perfecting its offering. Soon after, suits made from impermeable materials such as polyurethane appeared in international competitions. Like a watertight girdle, they squeezed and reshaped bodies while making them more buoyant. The neck-to-ankle suits that encased racers caused controversy, as previously unheralded swimmers smashed world records and won medals. FINA, the international governing board of competitive swimming, and USA Swimming, its U.S. equivalent, now ban those high-tech suits from international and national competition.
Women
Today, women can wear suits that cover the area from their knees to their chest. Straps going over the shoulders hold suits in place, but the arms and neck must remain bare. Only suits made of woven fabric are acceptable, although those with some panels of water -esistant materials appear on the approved list of competitive swimwear listed by FINA.
Men
Gone from competition are the neck-to-ankle body suits that encased male swimmers like gleaming pill capsules. Now, suits called jammers cover from below the waist down to the knees. Competitive suits fit tighter than workout suits and are made from thin, highly engineered fabrics. Open water swimmers still can wear certain bodysuits, but regulations change frequently.
Resolution
The 2011 world swimming championships in Shanghai saw only two world records broken in 350 races, compared with the 43 records smashed in the Rome Championships, held two years prior, before the new regulations went into effect. Manufacturers such as TRY and Speedo work closely in sync with the regulations, creating new fabrics that channel water along the body and that fit much tighter than regular workout suits.
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