麻豆传媒

Sports

Even with restrictive rules, swimsuit wars heat up in an Olympic year

American Olympic medalists Amanda Beard, left, Natalie Coughlin, right, and Michael Phelps pose in Speedo "LZR Racer" swimsuits during a news conference introducing the suits in New York, Feb. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File) American Olympic medalists Amanda Beard, left, Natalie Coughlin, right, and Michael Phelps pose in Speedo "LZR Racer" swimsuits during a news conference introducing the suits in New York, Feb. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)
Share

The iconic LZR Racer, the swimsuit that Michael Phelps wore while winning eight golds medals at the Beijing Olympics, is still revered around Speedo's design center.

It serves as a reminder of just how much a suit can push a swimmer to greater heights.

鈥淚n so many ways, that was the golden era,鈥 said Coora Lavezzo, the head of innovation at Speedo鈥檚 Aqualab in London. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got those suits upstairs, and even though I wasn鈥檛 there at the time, I鈥檓 fascinated by them and just how we can get back to a smidge of that former glory.鈥

Of course, the rules these days are much more of a hindrance to swimsuit designers, the result of a wild summer 15 years ago in which rubberized attire was all the rage, leading to 43 world records being set at the championships in Rome.

The international governing body, now known as World Aquatics, decided the polyurethane suits 鈥 many of them covering nearly the entire body 鈥 were making a mockery of the sport. So the organization hastily imposed strict new rules requiring textile fabrics and limiting the amount of body coverage from the hip to just above the knees for men, while women's racing attire cannot extend past the shoulder or cover the neck.

For coaches such as Bob Bowman, who worked with Phelps over his entire career and was on hand in Rome for a speed show that bordered on a farce, the rules are just fine the way they are.

鈥淓verybody is on a level playing field,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e're still breaking world records in these suits. The sport is moving forward.鈥

But major swimsuit designers such as Speedo, TYR and arena are pushing for the guidelines to be liberalized.

They pump millions of dollars into the sport, and would love nothing more than to be allowed to come up with revolutionary new designs that lead to vastly improved performances. But as things stand now, their hands are largely tied. Faster times come in tiny increments.

The suits remain an important element for any swimmer's performance, but the impact is nothing like it was during the rubber era.

鈥淚 think a lot of our sport is just mental,鈥 U.S. Olympian Hunter Armstrong said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just about feeling good in the water.鈥

The manufacturers are desperate to do more.

鈥淲hen the pushback came after those world championships in Rome, (World Aquatics) freaked out and they said we need rules quickly, we need to do something,鈥 said Greg Steyger, the head of innovation and design at Italian-based arena. 鈥淯nfortunately, that was in such a hurry that those rules are not the right rules for sure. But they鈥檝e stuck to them, they鈥檝e defended them, they鈥檝e done everything to keep them.鈥

Rachel Ripley, the director of merchandising at TYR, said her company is constantly lobbying for an easing of the restrictions.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been pretty status quo for 15 years," she said. 鈥淭here hasn鈥檛 really been much push or shake-up. It's something that I think we constantly talk about, but it requires more than just the manufacturers to make that change happen.鈥

Even with rules as they are, the swimsuit manufacturers say they are still able to come up with innovative creations that can make a crucial difference in a sport where races are often decided by mere hundredths of a second.

For Speedo, the new Fastskin LZR Intent and LZR Valor suits were developed through a partnership with Lamoral, a company better known for protective coatings that are used to extend the life of satellites in outer space.

Then there's TYR's Venzo suit, which is made with a frictionless yarn that evolved from military uses, most notably in socks worn by infantry soldiers who do a lot of marching.

Not to be outdone, arena has come up with the POWERSKIN Primo that it bills as the 鈥渨orld鈥檚 first tensoelastic suit," made of a trademarked fabric known as Hyperforce that supposedly provides the maximum amount of body compression 鈥 a key element in buoyancy 鈥 but far more flexibility than previous designs.

鈥淵ou're talking about maybe a one per cent difference in a race,鈥 said Olympic gold medalist Ryan Murphy, America鈥檚 top men's backstroke swimmer and a longtime Speedo-endorsed athlete. "Any little thing we can get to improve times, improve body position in the water, assist your technique, you're really looking for that.鈥

Most swimmers seem content with the state of affairs, though everyone is looking for ways to go a bit faster to gain that little extra edge.

鈥淭he innovation should be in other areas, like maybe the starting blocks," Italian swimmer Nicol貌 Martinenghi said.

Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden certainly had no complaints about the polyurethane suits allowed back in 2009, which she wore while winning the 100-meter butterfly in a world-record time a few weeks before her 16th birthday.

But she also remembers the down side.

鈥淭he biggest stress for me back then and as well as other swimmers was like getting the suit on,鈥 Sjostrom said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot easier nowadays to put on the suit, but they still give a good compression, which is really important to have a good feeling in the water.鈥

She said the current guidelines also keep prices more affordable for a wider range of swimmers, though a high-tech female suit can still go for around $650.

鈥淚t's good because the young kids can get the same kind of suit that I race in,鈥 Sjostrom said. 鈥淚t's within reach for everyone.鈥

No matter the rules, it's not a stretch to say an Olympic year is just as important to the manufacturers as it is to their swimmers.

Every time someone wearing their brand touches the wall first in Paris, it will help to move suits at the grassroots level. Certainly, there is no better endorsement of a product than a gold medal.

There鈥檚 even some good-natured trash-talking among the brands.

鈥淚 can fairly confidently say that we have been innovating over the years far in advance of Speedo and TYR,鈥 Steyger said. 鈥淪peedo has always been extremely good at marketing," he added with a smile.

While Speedo has long dominated the swimsuit wars, especially in the lucrative American market, the other companies are looking to carve out their own niche.

鈥淭he Olympics gets everyone involved,鈥 said Mark Pinger, a former German Olympic medalist who now serves as U.S. general manager at arena. 鈥淔or us, it鈥檚 a huge opportunity to get people that might not know who we are 鈥 especially in the U.S. 鈥 to take note of the brand.鈥

It will be interesting to see where things go in swimsuit design after the Paris Olympics.

While major changes seem unlikely, the companies will keep pushing for greater leeway. One thought is to allow men's suits to provide the same skin coverage as the women's style 鈥 and, therefore, a more prominent spot for a company's logo across the chest rather than on the thigh.

鈥淚 think they can do little more," Bowman said. 鈥淚f they wanted more coverage with the same fabric, OK, that could be a thing."

But, the coach quickly added, "we can't back into rubber suits like before.鈥

AP Sports Writer Andrew Dampf in Rome contributed to this report.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A Brampton woman says she is devastated after she lost more than $200,000 鈥 her life's savings 鈥 to a romance scam.

Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.

Canada

  • Police say multiple people were arrested and firearms were seized after an unmarked police cruiser was struck by gunfire in Toronto鈥檚 West Queen West neighbourhood late Monday night.

  • A 36-year-old Montreal man who was out on bail after allegedly uttering death threats against his partner is now accused of murdering her on the South Shore.

  • A Brampton woman says she is devastated after she lost more than $200,000 鈥 her life's savings 鈥 to a romance scam.

  • Family members and friends of a 43-year-old man who was fatally shot by police in Hamilton over the weekend says they鈥檙e devastated by his death and are seeking answers and justice for their loved one.

  • Dr. Ronald Weiss, who performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies on Ottawa men, establishing him as the "Wayne Gretzky" of the procedure, has died.

  • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs 鈥 including hot meals for vulnerable kids 鈥 won't spend any time in jail.

World

Politics

  • Murray Sinclair鈥檚 family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.

  • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale鈥擫angley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.

Health

Sci-Tech

Entertainment

Business

Lifestyle

Sports

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed forward Max Pacioretty on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury, the team announced Monday.

  • Canada will be without captain Alphonso Davies for its upcoming CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

Autos

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

  • Flames shot out of windows and debris came showering down onto the street as crews battled a fire at a North Vancouver highrise Monday afternoon.

  • Second World War veteran Percival Smith was a teenager when he entered the British Merchant Navy, but after years at sea he emerged as a man who returned to a family he "couldn't even recognize" after the war.

  • Police nabbed an alarming number of drunk or drug-impaired drivers in Abbotsford, B.C., over the long weekend 鈥 including 11 on Friday night alone.

  • As Toronto readies for Taylor Swift鈥檚 arrival this week, some crowd management and planning experts say additional safety precautions should be taken when tens of thousands of fans fill the city's downtown core on show nights.

  • Police say multiple people were arrested and firearms were seized after an unmarked police cruiser was struck by gunfire in Toronto鈥檚 West Queen West neighbourhood late Monday night.

  • A Brampton woman says she is devastated after she lost more than $200,000 鈥 her life's savings 鈥 to a romance scam.

  • A coalition of community groups is calling on Ottawa City Council to raise property taxes "to a level that sustains existing services and infrastructure," increase parking fees, and invest in transit, community services and climate action in its 2025 budget.

  • Dr. Ronald Weiss, who performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies on Ottawa men, establishing him as the "Wayne Gretzky" of the procedure, has died.

  • A 36-year-old Montreal man who was out on bail after allegedly uttering death threats against his partner is now accused of murdering her on the South Shore.

  • Several international flights scheduled to land at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport had to be diverted due to the discovery of a 'package of interest.'

  • Nova Scotia's political party leaders will return to the election campaign trail Tuesday after taking Monday off for Remembrance Day.

  • New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt will meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Tuesday in Fredericton.

  • A weeklong closure of Portage Avenue East is set to begin Tuesday to allow for pre-construction traffic signal work at Portage and Main.

  • A sacred fire burning in Winnipeg has brought healing and hope to some members of Xavia Skye Lynn Butler鈥檚 family.

  • November 11th marks a solemn day across Canada, and Regina is no exception.

  • Fire crews reported that no one was hurt after flames broke out in a home on Robinson Street in central Regina.

  • Regina author Valerie Crowther is celebrating the release of her book 鈥榃ar Letters: Linking Lives in the Second World War.鈥

  • A team of tornado experts are investigating a path of damage through Wellington County.

  • A 15-year-old boy from Kitchener, Ont. is facing a long list of criminal charges as the Waterloo Regional Police Service wraps up a lengthy swatting investigation.

  • Family members and friends of a 43-year-old man who was fatally shot by police in Hamilton over the weekend says they鈥檙e devastated by his death and are seeking answers and justice for their loved one.

  • Saskatoon Public Library workers will be on strike Tuesday as part of ongoing contract negotiations with SPL.

  • Saskatchewan RCMP are searching for a suspect after a man was seriously injured in a farm-related incident in Montreal Lake.

  • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

  • Failing to comply with a property standards order issued by city hall could add almost $100,000 to the tax bill of a prominent eyesore in east London.

  • Changes proposed to the city鈥檚 Special Events By-law would allow outdoor concerts and music festivals to play later 鈥 but not louder.

  • According to police, the crash also resulted in a hydro pole being broken and damaging lines.

  • Fire crews were called to an early-morning fire at recycling depot on John Street.

  • A Barrie man is accused of being at the centre of an alleged $2.2 million stolen used car scheme.

  • Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall is acting unilaterally for one of the only times of his tenure thus far to help ensure a renovation project of a youth shelter gets completed.

  • Rumors began spreading this morning that the school鈥檚 annual Winter Walkthrough in December was being postponed until January.

  • A pair of thieves ripped the door of an east Windsor sports apparel store on Monday morning, leaving the store owner on the hook for thousands in stolen merchandise.

  • video

    video

    After a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) worker took their own life while on shift at the Ambassador Bridge Saturday, 麻豆传媒 Public Safety Analyst Chris Lewis highlighted the mental health burdens faced daily by law enforcement.

  • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs 鈥 including hot meals for vulnerable kids 鈥 won't spend any time in jail.

  • A B.C. teen has a suspected case of H5N1 avian flu 鈥 the first known human to acquire the virus in Canada.

  • Second World War veteran Percival Smith was a teenager when he entered the British Merchant Navy, but after years at sea he emerged as a man who returned to a family he "couldn't even recognize" after the war.

  • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs 鈥 including hot meals for vulnerable kids 鈥 won't spend any time in jail.

  • The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.

  • Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.

  • If you were at the cenotaph Remembrance Day ceremonies in Lethbridge, you may have caught a glimpse of our Dory Rossiter there on crutches.

  • Canadians across the country spent Monday paying tribute to the soldiers who have fought and died while serving Canada.

  • The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year鈥檚 host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.

  • Remembrance Day celebrations took place across the country Monday, with Canadians reflecting on the sacrifices made by the men and women who served our country.

  • Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.

  • It was just days before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down when the Shaft Bottom Boys of Sudbury broke a world record for 'Deepest Concert Underground.' Now, more than four years later, a Timmins band is looking to take the title.

N.L.

Shopping Trends

The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆传媒. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

Stay Connected
Follow 麻豆传媒