Speedo swimsuit passes another test

MANCHESTER, England (AP):

SPEEDO'S RECORD-breaking suit passed another test at a meeting between swimming's world governing body and manufacturers yesterday.

"We always play by the rules," Stephen Rubin, the chairman of Speedo holding company Pentland, told The Associated Press. "As far as we're concerned, there is nothing wrong with our swimsuit, and it was agreed on at the meeting that it conforms with FINA's rules."

The meeting was planned before the swimsuit controversy began, with the stated intent to review future approval of new suits. But it turned a debate purely about the suit that has taken over the record books in less than two months.

World marks

There have been 19 long-course world marks set since Speedo's LZR Racer suit was introduced in February. Nine additional world marks have been established through three days at the short-course world championships. All but one of the records have come with swimmers wearing the LZR.

Critics of the Speedo suit cite illegal levels of buoyancy and call it "technological doping" since it combines a polyurethane layer with a layer of normal fabric. FINA's rules say "different fabrics can be used in one swimsuit".

The argument of Arena Group CEO Cristiano Portas, the leading opponent of the LZR, centred on the word "fabric", which he took as prohibiting a polyurethane, or plastic-type, material.

"I have to acknowledge that the other manufacturers had a broader understanding," Portas said. "The most important thing was to clarify the rules. Now that we know fabric is the same thing as material, we will develop a new suit. We already have some samples, so it is not a matter of a long time. We were holding back to respect the rules."