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EINDHOVEN - Top swimming officials are to have talks with manufacturers next month after a cascade of world records have been set using a new bodysuit.
From the United States to Australia via Eindhoven, 12 out of 13 world records have been set since February 16 in Speedo's LZR Racer bodysuit.
Frenchman Alain Bernard demolished the old sprint freestyle order in Eindhoven, breaking three world records in the space of three days in the Speedo suit.
With the Beijing Olympics coming in August, coaches and officials are worried the swimming world could be split into those who have access to the A$600 ($689) suit and those who do not.
The latter could miss out because the suit may not be immediately available to all or because their national federations are contracted to other manufacturers.
Swimming's world governing body FINA approved the suit last year but has called for the meeting with manufacturers during next month's world short-course championships in Manchester.
Cornel Marculescu, executive director of Lausanne-based FINA, said there were two main issues, the thickness of the suit and availability.
Marculescu told the SwimNews website there were concerns about buoyancy issues.
"We have to review this. But there is no scientific test to say if a suit supports performance," he said.
"The number one priority is that all suits are made available to everyone at the moment of launch. Any innovation should be available to everybody."
However, a New Zealand sports scientist involved in testing a world-beating swimsuit has declared the outfit perfectly legal.
The swimsuit was tested in the United States, Australia and at Otago University, where a flume was used to analyse water resistance.
David Pease, a biomechanics lecturer who was involved in the testing at Dunedin, said the swimsuits met all regulations which was why Fina had agreed to allow them.
"We did a lot of testing on measuring the buoyancy because that's one of the criteria for any suit that Fina okays," Pease said.
"It can't provide any buoyancy, so we made very sure that was the case."
Australia, along with USA, is one of the top nations with a commercial agreement with Speedo.
The company gave Australia's top 100 swimmers two free garments leading into the Olympic trials this week, with more available for purchase at the meet for the rest of the competitors.
Australian head coach Alan Thompson said availability was not an issue at the trials in Sydney.
"Suits are still available for purchase, if anyone wants to buy one they can get one," said Thompson.
Bodysuits caused controversy from their genesis about a decade ago, with arguments over whether they broke rules outlawing buoyancy. FINA gave the green light in 2000.
Massive sums are poured into the technology of suit development.
The Speedo suit boasts stabilising supports to maintain body position, panels to give a streamlined shape and reduce drag, and a strong, light fabric to reduce muscle oscillation and skin vibration.
Other manufacturers offer suits with special properties of their own and they too have had their successes, including victories at these championships.
Arena, with world and Olympic champion Laure Manaudou in their line-up, launched their new R-Evolution suit in Eindhoven, and adidas will unveil their new suit shortly.
Italy's Federica Pellegrini broke the 400m freestyle world record today in the new Arena suit which claims to be half a second faster over a 50m sprint than its previous product.
Bernard's French federation is contracted to rival manufacturer Tyr but, like some other federations, allows swimmers to make their own choice of suit.
Speedo and Arena sponsor most of the world's top swimmers and Thompson believes the deluge of world records in the past few months is more to do with talented athletes peaking in an Olympic year than the coincidence of wearing a new racing product.
"We are having some great performances here and in Europe in an Olympic year," said Thompson.
"Speedo has done a great job in securing the best athletes to wear their suits, and that's a commercial reality.
"It's an Olympic year, (world records) is what we expect and what we want to see."
- REUTERS, AAP, NZPA
