Swimmers Switch To Speedy Suits

A couple of months ago, it looked as if everyone would be wearing old-fashioned swimming attire at the U.S. Olympic trials.

Instead, the pool deck has been transformed into a virtual runway of high-tech fashions, displaying the bodysuit in all of its various shapes and forms.

For some, that means revealing a minimum amount of skin -- heads, hands and feet. For others, the arms and lower legs are exposed.

A few men look like they forgot to take off their pants before they jumped in the water. And don't forget all the stripes and colors that give each suit its own unique touch.

Sure, plenty of swimmers are sticking to the traditional suits. But the bodysuit revolution is undeniable.

"I'll be wearing the full bodysuit. I'll be wearing it until I die," quipped Tom Malchow, world record-holder in the 200-meter butterfly. "It came at the right time. It's getting everybody excited about the sport."

The bodysuit wasn't exactly welcomed to Indianapolis with open arms. While cleared for use in all other meets, the American governing body voted in June to ban it from the trials, fearing there wouldn't be enough to meet the demand of 1,309 swimmers.

But one manufacturer filed a grievance and another offered to outfit everyone free of charge, prompting USA Swimming to reverse its ban last month.

So, when the trials open Wednesday, anyone who wants to wear the bodysuit will be free to do so.

"It's brought a whole new life to the sport," said Neil Walker, who won five golds and two silvers at the short course world championships this year. "We're putting on something that's never been worn before. The sport really hasn't changed that much over the years. It's fun to be part of this change."

Malchow believes it was vital for the U.S. team to have access to the suit at the last major competition before the Sydney Games, just a month away. The powerful Australian team set several world records after the bodysuit was approved for its Olympic trials in May.

"You don't want to go to a big international meet like the Olympics wearing the suit for the first time," Malchow said.

Although Speedo claims its Fastskin suit improves performance as much as 3 percent, not everyone is taking the approach that covering more skin is the only way to go.

"It's like a girl putting on nylons, only 10 times worse," said Kristy Kowal, a top contender in the breaststroke. "I couldn't get it over my foot."

Therefore, she'll stick with traditional attire at the trials and in Sydney, assuming she makes the team.

Walker, only the third man in history to win seven medals at a major international competition, will wear a bodysuit that doesn't cover his arms. He only wishes the move to legalize the new attire had not been marred by a highly publicized flip-flop.

"If it had been a year earlier, we would have a lot better feel and be cnfident in all types of suits," he said. "It was sort of crash and burn to get ready for the trials. We had to hurry up and get used to it."