11 Best Sports Swimwear

Best Sports Swimwear in 2023

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Does Space Age LZR Swimsuit Make Water Seem Too Invisible for Olympic Games Swimmers?

The space age LZR swimsuit, made by Speedo, may become standard wear for competitive swimmers during and after the Olympic Games of 2020. But is it giving swimmers a fair or unfair advantage?

The space age swimsuit worn by Michael Phelps is at the heart of some Olympic Games controversy and talk of unfair advantages for swimmers

Phelps can wear the LZR swimsuit because it was approved for the Olympic Games even though former champions like Duncan Armstrong (who won the 200 meter freestyle championship in 1998's Seoul Olympics) has said it does give swimmers an unfair advantage, according to Fox Sports. But the Speedo LZR racing suit was approved so there isn't much that Armstrong or anyone else can do at this point -- except talk -- and he isn't the only one talking a great deal about this swimsuit, one that ironically covers more of the body than the type worn by Gold medalist Mark Spitz when he won his seven gold medals. In fact, it is hard to believe a suit that covers so much of a swimmer's body could be an advantage. The suit appears to be almost like a second skin for swimmers, going from the shoulders all the way to the feet.

But it isn't the swimsuit's coverage that is getting so much coverage. Owners and sponsors of other swimsuit designs and at least one former Olympic champion are all unhappy. Athletes who were signed by some swim wear companies before the Olympics have apparently decided that these agreements weren't nearly as important as winning Olympic swimming competitions. They have opted to wear the space age swimsuit instead of the ones they'd originally agreed to wear. Even though some companies have filed lawsuits, the swimmers are going with Speedo (unless they are banned from doing so by their home countries' governing boards) Then there are people like former Olympic swimmer Duncan Armstrong, people who reportedly think the suit does give swimmers too much of an advantage.

Since its introduction, swimmers wearing the Speedo LZR racer have broken at least 44 world records

In itself, that is an amazing feat, especially since the swimsuit was introduced only as recently as February of 2020. When it comes to swimsuit design, it isn't just a matter of taking any swimsuit material and making it in the right size for a swimmer. Instead, design teams take various fabrics and carefully analyze factors such as skin drag (how much resistance swimmers feel as they swim), buoyancy and other things. The suit also compresses the body very tightly, making it similar to wearing a very tight girdle (which may give it other applications after the Olympic games but that is a different subject).

By June, , swimmers using the Speedo LZR suit had broken 40 world records, according to ScienceDaily, and within a month of that accomplishment 4 more world records were broken. This couldn't help but draw more attention to the space age swimsuit - possibly given its nickname because the fabric had been tested at NASA. If nothing else, the swimsuit give swimmers a definite psychological advantage, with Michael Phelps and others claiming that they do indeed feel faster when they wear it. But talk is one thing and world records are another. Those records may be proof that the suit does help the swimmers.

Normal evolution in swimsuit design - or does the space age swimsuit give swimmers an over the top advantage?

When athletes start breaking agreements in order to use this suit, anger erupts from sponsor who have visions of dollars going down the drain and the media spotlight being turned away from their swimsuits and logos. Every suit and every logo worn at the Olympics can mean big bucks for companies. Many Olympic swimmers now prefer the Speedo's LZR design, so much so that there may even be an issue with swimsuit shortages.

As noted before, Duncan Armstrong has allegedly noted that the suit does give swimmers an extra edge, one that crosses the line and becomes an unfair advantage (see sources at end of article). Because of the suit's tight compression, it might help with endurance. This could help those swimmers wearing the suit, especially compared to swimmers aren't able to don't wear it. If that is the case, it is surprising that the suit was given approval since there are clear rules about wearing anything that unduly helps with speed, buoyancy or endurance.

As part of a publicity campaign, non-competitive swimmers were even allowed to test the suit and many were awed by the way they felt in the water. The extra speed and lack of resistance or drag was clearly felt.

Will world records and Gold medals won by Olympic swimmers be taken as seriously as those won by swimmers like Mark Spitz?

Obviously, the Speedo LZR Racer wasn't around when Mark Spitz won his seven gold medals. Anyone having one of his famous posters, as I did, showing him with the medals draped around his neck and a comparatively skimpy swimsuit clinging to his body, can tell the difference between the new swimsuit and that worn by Mark Spitz. That is why some have proposed that any world records won this year have a special notation or even an asterix next to it. Huh? A world record that may not be considered the same as any other world record? That seems odd. Either the suit is legit or it isn't and the records stands - or it falls. Hopefully, the medals won at the 2020 Olympics won't be considered special or different than those won in previous years, especially if there is a negative stigma attached to them.

Many Olympic swimmers don't seem to be worrying about the ethics of swimsuit design but are eager to wear the space age Speedo LZR

In the meantime, there are plenty of swimmers who aren't sitting around debating the merits or ethics of using the new swimsuit. They simply want to wear it during the Olympic swimming competitions. This could create a controversy of its own if Speedo runs into a supply and demand problem, since they may now have to provide suits to swimmers who were originally committed to other sponsors.

Sources:
1.Speedo Website and information found there: www.speedointernational.com/index.php
2. Speedy Swimsuits should be Banned: Duncan Armstrong, August 5, 2020: Fox Sports (Williams): www.foxsports.com.au/beijing_olympics/story/0,27313,24132538-5016786,00.html
3. Rocketing Through Water: Space-Age Swimsuit Being Tested At NASA, ScienceDaily, July 6, 2020: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/080703132928.htm