3% drag ...

... reduction.

Speedo, producers of the new full-body "Fastskin" swim suit, claims their ridged fabric, which mimics the effect of sharkskin in water, makes for faster times.

In the weeks leading up to the Olympics, international swimmers are making a case for the benefits of bodysuits. Australians Ian Thorpe and Susie O'Neill wore them on the way to world records at the Australian Olympic trials in May, Inge de Bruijn of the Netherlands suited up for three world marks in the last two weeks, and American Tom Malchow shattered the once thought-untouchable 200-meter butterfly record in the high-tech attire last weekend.

You won't see the suits at the U.S. Olympic trials in Indianapolis (August 9-16), however. It seems the manufacturers, Speedo, Adidas, Nike, and Tyr, are unable to produce enough suits to make them available to all 1300 trial participants. So, in the interest of fairness, the board of USA Swimming voted last week to ban the suits for the trials.

The funky Sea-Hunt style togs are a go for the Games, though. Swimming's international governing body has approved them for Sydney.

The jury is still out on whether or not they actually help swimmers go faster. The international governing body found no evidence they enhance performance.

Malchow says mindset is more important than empirical data: "I don't know if the suit makes a difference or not, but I feel faster in it," he said, "Swimming is very much a mental sport, so you do what you have to do to feel better. Whether it is wearing designer goggles or a pink bathing cap with flowers on it, if you feel better with them you will use them."

Some say pink bathing caps with flowers would be more welcome. Dick Jochums, coach for some of the top distance swimmers in the U.S., looks at the way skin-thin body armor stretches from the neck to the ankles and applauds USA swimming's decision, at least for the time being, to put the emphasis on competition rather than technology: "Good for U.S. swimming! We were sending the wrong message to our young swimmers."

Eric Neel

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