Olympics, London
Those of you who following swimming as a sport will know all the fuss swimsuits have created over the years. No one would have thought that swimsuits could spark so much controversy or that research would be performed to eliminate any kind of advantages various swimmers could get by their suits.
Just recently, the Olympic Committee announced the “perfect” swimsuit for the 2012 Olympics. According to them it should be acceptable to all nations participating in the swimming events at the tournament.
However, there is no such thing as “perfect” in this world therefore objections were bound to rise. The first nation to do so is the Australia.
According to report published on Thursday, most of the Australian swim team is not happy with the official swim suit.
The Australian swim team reckons the Elite Fastskin Pro suit has a couple of flaws and would like it to be reevaluated. The Campbell sisters, Cate and Bronte both have voiced their concerns on this issue too.
The reaction from many swimmers on the Australian team is so strong that they have even requested Speedo, the official sponsor for their Olympic team, to exempt them from wearing the suit.
“I think there're about two people on the team who are happy with the Speedo suit at the moment,” Bronte said in an interview to The Sydney Morning Herald.
“I think most of the team is happy with the older Speedo suit, so they may have to look at (wearing) that.”
The Campbell sisters are being sponsored by a rivaling company, therefore they will adorn an unmarked swimsuit at the Olympics. Initially they were also in the 32 Australian athletes who successfully applied to the Australian Olympic Committee for exemptions.
It’s not just the Australian swim team that is having problems with the official sportswear of the tournament. Dual Olympic gold medalist Jessicah Schipper also has reservations against her sponsor’s outfit.
“It's unofficial as of yet but I'm hoping to be wearing Adidas over there,” Schipper said.
“I've tried (the Speedo suit) out, and I find they just don't fit my body as well as the ones that were designed for me, and at the end of the day I want to race in what fits me best.”
A statement released by Speedo informed that the company was closely working with the AOC and the Australian swim team “to deliver suits that will allow them to feel confident and compete to the highest standard in the lead up to and during the London 2012 Olympics”.
Swimsuits caused a massive uproar at the 2009 World Championships in Rome, when high-tech polyurethane helped set 43 world records. This eventually led to a ban on the garment.
