Hello! I’m super new to swimming (both watching and doing it), but I’ve been really invested in this year’s Olympics. However, I noticed that all the male swimmers are wearing trunks or speedos now. I remember seeing clips of earlier swimming competitions, like those from the Beijing 2008 Olympics, where swimmers, including Michael Phelps, were breaking world records in full-body suits.
So, what happened to the full-body suits? Was Beijing just cold? Were the suits unfair? Were they less efficient?
Great to see you’re getting into swimming and enjoying the Olympics!
The full-body swimsuits you saw in the Beijing 2008 Olympics were indeed a big deal.
Swimmers like Michael Phelps wore them, and they helped break many world records.
These suits were made from high-tech materials that reduced drag and improved buoyancy.
However, starting in January 2010, World Aquatics (formerly FINA) banned these suits. The main reasons were:
Unfair Advantage: The suits gave a significant performance boost, which was seen as unfair to those who couldn’t afford the latest technology.
Integrity of the Sport: There was a concern that the focus was shifting from the athletes’ abilities to the technology they were using.
Standardization: To ensure a level playing field, swimwear regulations were standardized. Men’s suits are now limited to extending from the waist to the knees, while women’s suits can extend from the shoulders to the knees.
So, it wasn’t about the temperature in Beijing but about maintaining fairness and the integrity of the sport.
Full body suits were prohibited, as others have mentioned. Still, part of the reason for this is that suit manufacturers began utilizing materials other than nylon to boost buoyancy instead of only decreasing drag.
According to what I understand, the Blue Seventy’s cloth had a rubber substance that eventually snapped the camel’s back. When I was in college, we had a few for the team to distribute, and I recall that when I put it on, I actually felt like I was floating better.
From that point on, suits could only be as long as the jammer.
Full-body suits, once used in swimming for speed, were banned by the Olympics in 2010 due to their performance-enhancing advantages. The decision aimed to ensure fair competition and maintain traditional swimming techniques.
