Full-body Suits Banned

Swimming

Fina Outlaws Controversial, High-performance Apparel

FINA's congress also stipulated the swimsuit coverage area must be between the waist and knees for men and not beyond the shoulders or below the knees for women. FINA also said suits may only be made from "textiles," though FINA officials said the definition of that would still have to be worked out.

USA Swimming's Mark Schubert has been known to favor an asterisk to define those record-setting swims. His boss, Chuck Wielgus, USA Swimming's executive director, does not.

"I don't think we want to do anything to tarnish the performances of the athletes of the past," Wielgus said. "Debate is human."

Speedo set the early pace last year, igniting pre-Olympic controversy over whether its swimsuits provided an unfair advantage.

Since the Beijing Olympics, though, the line has moved so far, so fast that even the slow-moving FINA decided to act.

Swimmers were wearing two, even three suits (now illegal) to get an edge while newer offerings from Italian swimsuit makers Arena and Jaked featured enhancing material, Arena with part-polyurethane and Jaked with all-polyurethane.

The high-tech suits are stitch-free, low-drag, super-light and help shed water along the surface of the suit.