Competitive swimwear

Competitive swimwearrefers to theswimsuit,clothing, equipment, and accessories used in the aquatic sports ofswimming,diving,artistic swimming,triathlon,andwater polo.

A mixed-sex pair in their swimsuits, participating inFINA World Championshipsofsynchronised swimming.

A woman wearing a racing competitive racerbackbikini

Some swimsuits are designed specifically forswimming competitionswhere they may be constructed of aspecial low resistance fabricthat reduces skin drag. Most competitive swimmers wear special swimsuits including partialbodysuits,racerbackstyles, jammers and racing briefs to assist their glide through the water thus gaining a speed advantage.

For diving in water temperatures above 25 °C (77 °F), special bodysuits called "dive skins"are worn. These suits are made fromspandexand provide little thermal protection, but they protect the skin from jellyfish stings, sunburn, and abrasion. This kind of suit is also known as a 'Stinger Suit'. Some divers wear a dive skin under a wetsuit, which allows easier donning and (for those who experience skin problems from neoprene) provides additional comfort.

Unlike regular swimsuits, which are designed mainly for aesthetic appearances, swimsuits intended to be worn during competitions are manufactured to assist the athlete in swimming competitions. They reduce friction and drag in the water, increasing the swimmer's forward motion efficiency. The tight fits allow for easy movement and are said to reduce muscle vibration,thus reducing drag. This also reduces the possibility that a high-forward dive will remove a diver's swimwear. Starting around 2000, to improve the effectiveness of the swimsuits, engineers have taken to designing them to replicate the skin of sea-based animals, sharks in particular.

In July 2009,FINAvoted to ban non-textile (non-woven) swimsuits in competitive events from 2010. The new policy was implemented to combat the issues associated with performance-enhancing swimsuits, hindering the ability to accurately measure the performance of swimmers.Subsequently, the new ruling states that men's swimsuits may maximally cover the area from the navel to the knee, and women's counterparts from the shoulder to the knee.

Some swimmers use a specialized training suit called drag suits to artificially increase drag during practice. Drag suits are swimwear with an outer layer of looser fabric – often mesh or nylon – to increase resistance against the water and build up the swimmer's endurance. They come in a variety of styles, but most resemble a looser fitting square-cut or swim brief.

History

Main article:History of competitive swimwear

The history of competitive swimwear has been dominated by concerns over public nudity in the first half of the 20th century and by efforts to reduce water drag in the second half.Those efforts initially lead male swimmers to reduce the early saggingone-piece swimsuitsdown tobriefsonly. Goggles were used in the crossing of theEnglish Channelback in 1911, but only in 1970 appeared at international competitions. With the advent of rubber technology, latex swimming caps became mass-produced in the 1920s, and more efficient silicone caps appeared in the 1970s.

With the development of new materials that tightly fit the body and offered lower resistance to water than human skin, this trend was reversed to a complete body coverage from heels to neck and wrists. In 1999, Australian competitive swimmerIan Thorpesigned withAdidasfor an undisclosed six-figure sum, to race in their new bodysuit, although the national team was sponsored and wore outfits designed bySpeedo.Thorpe's success in the2000 Summer Olympicswearing the Adidas full-length black polyurethane bodysuit,in contrast to other swimmers wearing textile swimwear (males wore legskins, jammers, or briefs, while females wore racerback maillots), led to other swimming manufacturers such as Speedo andMizunoto create their own rival bodysuits. Thorpe subsequently worked with Adidas which in 2003 released the Adidas Jetconcept bodysuit, whose design "came from the V-shaped grooves currently used on the wings and fuselage of civil aircraft".

TheLZR Pro and LZR Elitelines were launched on 13 February 2008, with the LZR Elite being marketed as "the world's fastest swimsuit."It was the focus of Speedo's campaign for the2008 Summer Olympics,spearheaded byMichael Phelpsof the United States. They created a holographic (visually generated) video of Phelps wearing the suit which was displayed in London, Sydney, New York, and Tokyo on the day of the suit's release. Speedo's LZR Racer had become so effective by the eve of the2008 Summer Olympicsthat many swimmers, despite them or their swimming federations having exclusive contracts with other apparel makers, have chosen the LZR Racer over competing bodysuits.At that year's Olympics in Beijing, 94% of all swimming races were won in that suit,While 98% of all medals were won by swimmers wearing that suit, and 23 out of the 25 world records broken were achieved by swimmers competing in the LZR suit.As of 24 August 2009,93 world records had been broken by swimmers wearing a LZR Racer,and 33 of the first 36 Olympic medals have been won wearing it.

In 2009, FINA rules and regulations were altered, effective from 1 January 2010. Suits made with polyurethane were banned because they made athletes more buoyant. These rules also banned suits that go above thenavelor below the knee for men and suits that extend past the shoulders or cover the neck for womenFINA stated that it "wishes to recall the main and core principle is that swimming is a sport essentially based on the physical performance of the athlete".

Suits

Bodyskin

See also:History of competitive swimwear § Non-textile swimsuits

Bodyskin swimsuits worn byAmanda Beard(left),Michael Phelps(center), andNatalie Coughlin(right).

Abodyskinis a style of competitive swimwear worn by both female and male athletes. Bodyskins are normally made of technologically advancedlycra-based fabrics designed to hug the body tightly and provide increased speed and decreaseddragresistance in the water.

The bodyskin resembles the design of adive skin,commonly used by snorkelers andscubadivers for warm weather climates. The primary distinguishing feature is the material from which the bodyskin suit is made.

Some bodysuits provide full body coverage from the ankles to the neck and wrists, such asIan Thorpe'sAdidasJetconcept bodysuit which made its debut in 2003, Thorpe previously wore an earlier Adidas black bodysuit design in the2000 Summer Olympics.Sleeveless designs such as theSpeedoLZR Racerwas popular in the2008 Summer Olympics;Speedo also produces a body skin designed specifically for thebackstroke.Other competing bodysuits include Acquablade, Fastskin, and Sharkskin, which are produced byMizuno,Asics, Descente, Arena, andNike.

Swimmers reported that body skins improved buoyancy. This is true as long as the suits remain dry. As such, they are recommended for distances under 200m.

The national coach of a small country stated that the suits need exact sizing and resulting high cost "increas[ed] the disparity between the haves and have nots."As with most technologically advanced fabric swimwear, body skins were only commonly used at highly competitive levels of the swimming sport and are known to sell for prices overUS$400.Despite their cost, a single bodysuit can only be used for a handful of races, as getting in and out of the suit repeatedly would damage its form-fitting properties, memorably whenIan Thorpetore his Adidas bodysuit right before the 4×100 men's freestyle relay podium ceremony in the2000 Summer Olympics.

FINA rule changes

Further information:LZR Racer § FINA rule changes

Further information:Arena X-Glide § FINA rule changes

Bodyskins were banned fromFINAcompetitions from the start of 2010 after many national swimming federations demanded the action, and leading athletes such asMichael PhelpsandRebecca Adlingtoncriticised the suits.They continue to be used for other purposes, including research.

Briefs

Main article:Swim briefs

A man wearing swim briefs

Aswim briefrefers to anybriefsstyle maleswimsuitsuch as those worn in competitiveswimming,water poloanddiving.The popularity of the AustralianSpeedo(est. 1928) brand racing brief has led to the use of its name in some countries (e.g. the United States) to refer to any racing brief, regardless of the maker. Occasionally, the Speedogenericized trademarkalso applies tosquare cutswimsuits, but in general, the generic term is used for swim briefs. Swim briefs are also referred to as competition briefs, bathers, racer bathers, posing briefs, racing briefs, and colloquially in Australia as "budgie smugglers".

Likeunderwearbriefs, swim briefs feature a V-shape front and a solid back providing form-fitting coverage. They typically are worn below the lower waist. They are generally secured by thin banding at the upper thighs and either adrawstringaround the waist or anelastic waistband.Swim briefs are most often made of anylonandspandex(Lycra) composite, while some longer-lasting suits are made frompolyesterand still others from other materials. Most swim briefs have a beige or white front lining made of a similar fabric.

Drag suit

A drag suit designed byArena.

Adrag suitis a pair of baggy square-cut or brief-style trunks that competitive swimmers may wear over their normal suit to provide extra resistance ( "drag" ) from the water. This allows the swimmer to get more out of their training than they would without a drag suit. Drag suits are meant to be worn over a long period of time to wear in the material and possibly tear the fabric. The more worn-in, torn or ripped the drag suit, the more resistance it provides the swimmer. Since drag suits make swimming more difficult, swimmers do not wear drag suits in competition. Drag suits originated as older swimsuits at the end of their useful life that swimmers would then wear over another suit.

Kneeskin

A kneeskin swimsuit

Akneeskinis a type of competitive swimwear worn by both male and female athletes. Kneeskins are normally made of technologically advancedlycra-based fabrics designed to hug the body tightly and provide increased speed and decreaseddragresistance in the water.

The kneeskin is similar in design to the fullbodyskin,but the kneeskin does not have leggings covering or beyond the knee. The kneeskin resembles a "shortie" stylewetsuitonly made of drag-reducing fabric instead ofneopreneand commonly features a zippered back. Most competitive swimwear brands such as theSpeedoLZR Racerline,Tyr Sport, Inc.and Arena Powerskin line produce suits of this type. As with most technologically advanced fabric swimwear, kneeskin suits are only commonly used at highly competitive levels of the swimming sport and are known to sell for prices in excess ofUS$200.

Jammer

Swim jammer

Ajammer,also called aswim jammer,is a style ofswimsuitworn by male swimmers, used mainly in competition to obtain speed advantages. They are generally made of nylon andlycra/spandexmaterial, but may be made of polyester, and have a form fitting design to reduce water resistance. The materials usually dry fairly quickly. They provide moderate coverage from the mid-waist to the area above the knee, somewhat resemblingcycling shortsorcompression shortsworn by many athletes. They provide greater leg coverage thanswim briefsandsquare leg suits,although they also have slightly more water resistance.

Legskin

A legskin swimsuit

Alegskinis a type of competitive swimwear worn by male swimmers. Most legskins are made of technologically advancedlycra-based fabrics designed to hug the body tightly and provide increased speed and decreaseddragresistance in the water. The legskin covers from the swimmer's mid-waist to his ankle and resemblesleggings.One advantage of the legskin over other suit styles that cover the arms is flexibility, especially for strokes that require broad arm movement.

Since 2009, legskins have been banned for competition swimming by FINA since they gave an unfair advantage to swimmers who wore them; the ban includes bodysuits.

Racerback

See also:One-piece swimsuit

A woman wearing a racerback one-piece swimsuit

Aracerbackis a type of women'sswimsuitdesign common today among competitive swimwear and incorporated into some types of women's clothing. The top-back of the swimsuit is not covered to provide flexibility and movement of the arms during swimming.

Square cut

Thesquare cutorsquare leg style suitis a form-fitting maleswimsuitused as a slightly less revealing style thanswim briefsforwater poloanddiving,or for recreational wear. Like swim briefs, they are made of anylonandspandexblend. They typically sit low on the waist and high on the thigh, but provide more coverage for the upper leg than briefs. The square-cut style was popular as a recreational swimsuit for men during the 1950s.

Suits of this type are named for the coverage that they provide to the upper thighs due to a square seam opening for the leg. Square leg suits range in appearance from those similar to swim briefs with a slightly straighter front and wider side panelling (eliminating the arc appearance on the leg), to those resemblingboxer briefsby providing an inch or more of fabric coverage over the upper section of the leg.

The square leg suit of the 1970s made a fashion revival in Australia in 2002 with the introduction of colorful floral and retro geometric patterned suits by swimwear labelFunky Trunks.The style is popular amongst competitive swimmers for pool training and for recreational swimmers in the pool and at the beach.

Square cut swimsuit

Accessories

• Earplug– Device to protect ears from loud noises
• Fistgloves
• Goggles– Forms of protective eyewear that do not enclose the nose
• Hand paddle– Plastic plate worn on the hand by swimmers during training
• Kickboard– Device used to keep someone above waterPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Noseclip– Device worn during water activities
• Pull buoy– Floatation device used in swim workouts
• Snorkel– Tube for breathing face down at the surface of the water
• Swim cap– Cap worn while swimming or bathing
• Training fin– Footwear used for personal propulsion through waterPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Weight belt– Ballast carried to counteract buoyancy