Why are full-body swimsuits not allowed at the Olympic Games?

If we think back to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, there were as is always the case at a Summer Games, many moments to remember. Yet, perhaps one of the biggest talking points was what we witnessed in the pool. Indeed, we saw Michael Phelps dominate the field on the way to eight gold medals, breaking Mark Spitz’s long-standing record for most gold medals by an individual at a single Olympics. Of course, many will recall not so much what the American did, but what he wore while doing it, the now-banned full-body swimsuit.

NASA, Speedo, the LZR swimsuit, and why it’s banned

Not long after the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, Speedo-USA contacted NASA for assistance in developing a swimsuit that could cut down on drag, a fact later confirmed by NASA who wrote the following in 2008: “While most people would not associate space travel with swimwear, rocket science is exactly what SpeedoUSA decided to try.” According to NASA, researchers tested fabrics using a wind tunnel and a water flume and finally, they arrived at what they called the LZR Racer, a swimsuit that the space agency declared could reduce skin friction drag 24% more than the previous Speedo racing suit fabric.

Ahead of the Summer Games in Beijing, Speedo officially introduced the LZR swimsuit, and what we got was an unbelievable result as 25 world records were set in swimming at those Olympics - Phelps set seven - with 23 of them being set by athletes wearing the LZR. The Olympic committee would later refer to the Beijing scenario as “a moment when technology went too far.” Indeed, in a post just last month, the committee spoke directly to the situation, explaining that the “super-suits” made of polyurethane or other non-textile materials were banned because they were seen to provide a greater advantage to larger athletes.

Now, it may be that some have doubts about whether that’s the case but it’s worth noting that just one year after the 2008 games, Phelps - the record-setter - was unable to make two finals and just made it to a third while wearing an original swimsuit. Those he competed against were mostly wearing the LZR. It wasn’t long after that FINA, now known as World Aquatics, took the official decision to ban the use of high-tech suits during competition, and in 2010, that rule went into effect.

Men’s swimsuits “shall not extend above the navel nor below the knee and for women shall not cover the neck or extend past the shoulders nor shall extend below the knee,” according to WA’s guidelines. Needless to say, there were a whole lot of LZRs out there that no longer had a purpose which resulted in Speedo inviting students to come up with creative ways to recycle the suits after the ban. Interestingly, it’s not the only ban where the pool is concerned, as one also extends to goggles for synchronized swimmers. According to the Olympics website, while swimmers practice with goggles during training, they’re banned during competitions.