Olympic swimmers to shun new generation Speedo swimsuits?
When Australia's top swimmers meet to contest Olympic selection at the national championships at the South Austalian State Aquatic & Leisure Centre this week, it appears most will not be wearing the latest in swimsuit technology.
According to a report in Sydney's Sun Herald newspaper, swimmers are unconvinced by Speedo's new generation high performance swimsuits, from Speedo's Fastskin3 range launched in Sydney last December.
Introduced as a "revolutionary racing system", the new suits were designed to replace the high performance polyurethane bodysuits banned by world swimming governing body FINA in 2009.
The Sydney Morning Herald exclusive suggests that "Leisel Jones and Libby Trickett, ambassadors of the global giant, are just two stars planning to wear old models at the Olympic trials."
The report adds "with millions already invested in the new suits and 138 days before the London Games, Speedo is anxious to address their concerns.
"The new Speedo suits have proved most problematic for females, who have complained of struggling to squeeze their behinds into the high-tech costume, only to find it too baggy around the waist.
"In the model the Fastskin3 was designed to outdate, there was more compression around the abdominals - now, the bracing is under the bust and legs.
"Male swimmers have their misgivings too. The criticism of another Speedo ambassador, Eamon Sullivan, is that the crutch in the Fastskin3 trunks is too short. Other men are feeling somewhat vulnerable due to the lack of a drawstring."
On Friday, Speedo Australia Marketing Manager, Brooke Nicholson, who has been dealing directly with swimmers about what she termed "quite a complex suit", explained the new range arrived late in Australia by about two months after delayed approval by FINA.
The 2012 EnergyAustralia Swimming Championships are being held at the South Australia State Aquatic & Leisure Centre in Adelaide from Thursday. The eight-day event continues until 22nd March.
Image: Speedo's Fastskin3 range at its launch in Sydney last December.
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