Even with restrictive rules, swimsuit wars heat up in an Olympic year

AP National Writer

The swimsuit that Michael Phelps wore while winning eight golds medals at the Beijing Olympics is still revered around Speedo’s design center. The LZR Racer is a reminder of just how much a suit can help an athlete. Of course, the rules these days are much more of a hindrance to swimsuit designers following a summer 15 years ago in which rubberized attire was all the rage, resulting in 43 world records being set. Swimming’s international governing body hastily imposed strict new rules that remain largely intact to this day. Most coaches and swimmers seem content with them. But major swimsuit designers such as Speedo, TYR and arena are pushing for more leeway to develop faster suits.