Rob Harris

Swimming Faces an Uncertain Future as High-Tech Suits Bow Out of Pool

Manchester, England. Aaron Peirsol is among the swimmers who have broken world records in the high-tech bodysuits that have revolutionized the sport. Now, with the suits to be outlawed from Jan. 1, the American is looking forward to competing on a level playing field.

Peirsol, an Olympic and world champion backstroker, said the return to old-style suits should help restore credibility to swimmers and their sport.

“We’re not looking for any way … to get faster. We want an even playing field,” Peirsol said. “When the suits go, the sport will have a tremendous amount of integrity. We’re going back to the way things were, which isn’t always a bad thing.”

More than 250 world records have been set since early 2008, when Speedo’s LZR set the standard for water-resistant outfits that increase buoyancy.

Peirsol ended the year with world marks in the 100 and 200-meter backstroke events, and he broke the 4x100 medley relay record with the US team at the world championships in Rome.

“Those records were done legitimately at the time,” the 26-year-old Peirsol said. “It was never the swimmers’ fault they were wearing those suits. They were just doing what was allowed for them to do.

“The suits are beautiful things and, whether you like it or not, they do make you swim faster. We were talking about maybe wearing them in practice, just to wear them just to go fast again. They are fun and they added another dynamic to the sport that was never there before. Not everyone hated them.”

But with the return of knee-length and other textile suits from January, swimming will become less a battle of technology.

Scrapping the world records or applying an asterisk in the record books would be contentious, Peirsol said, because suits had been on an accelerated development course for more than a decade.

After describing 2009 as one the “best years of my career” — despite the Olympic champion failing to qualify for the 100 backstroke final at the worlds — Peirsol is less certain about what can be achieved next year when he dons the Arena R-Evo for the first time.

“I think I can get close [to breaking records], but I really don’t know,” he said. “Some records will be tough to beat for a lot of people, I think. Some people were affected more by the suits than others. There really is no telling until this year comes through.

“But the level of racing won’t go anywhere, and I think the sport will surprise itself and some of those records will go down. Things are going to be changing for the sport, which makes this interesting.”




Associated Press

Your View

See Result