U.S. Deaflympic swimmer Carlisle Robinson practices in the pool at National Chung Cheng University in Chia-Yi, Taiwan prior to the opening of the Summer Deaflympics. (Photo by Bill Millios)
Suited for competitionU.S. swimmers to use controversial suitsby Martin Dale-Hench on September 2, 2009 Equipped with the high-tech LZR Racer swimsuit, Michael Phelps and other world-class swimmers broke 62 world records at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. This year, there’s no telling how many records similarly equipped Deaflympians could shatter in Taiwan. Swimmer Carlisle Robinson is one of several Americans who will wear Speedo’s LZR Racer in races next week in an effort to keep up with international competition, she said. ”I will be using the LZR Racer swimsuit,” Robinson said. “I am certain that other athletes will be wearing these fast suits at the Deaflympics, as several swimmers including myself did at the [Capitol Athletic Conference] championships last February.” The Deaflympics veteran won bronze in the 200m butterfly in Melbourne four years ago while using a less sophisticated swimsuit. At that time, no suits this sophisticated existed, but she used the LZR Racer during the CAC championship, and she broke her personal best in the medleys by three full seconds, even after racing several times previously in the day. Speedo’s sleek LZR Racer, which premiered in the Beijing Olympics last summer, was partially developed by NASA. The laser-welded swimsuit reduces drag in the water by five percent and boosts the swimmer’s buoyancy. The effect reportedly is significant enough to lower racing times by 1.9 to 2.2 percent. Results at the 2008 Beijing Olympics testify to the swimsuit’s alleged boosting power — swimmers using the LZR Racer won an unprecedented 94 percent of races. However, the suits are controversial, placing many swimmers in a catch-22 situation. Don’t wear them, and you’ll probably lose. Wear them, and you could be accused of cheating, or “technological doping.” Swimmers and coaches today “understand that with the [swimsuits] out there, the serious athlete needs to conform and wear them or not to be competitive,” said American swimmer Jess Weeden, who will compete in several different events. Although the Deaflympics regulates swimming in accordance with FINA’s rulebook, a new ban on the LZR Racer will not take effect until 2010 and swimmers in Taipei will be free to use the suit and its derivatives. As swimmers struggle to remain competitive, some say they think the suit takes away from the spirit of fair play and integrity of the Games. Swimmer Will Landgren, who will compete in all freestyle events, will use another “technical” suit, Nike’s Blue Seventy. He says the technical suits such as the LZR Racer have had discernible effects on his competitors’ times in the past year or two. “A few years ago, I was a state champion,” Landgren said. “I wore briefs, with most of the other swimmers wearing legskin.” When the technical suits came on the swimming scene, things changed, Landgren said. “Right away, I noticed that those swimmers who I used to beat went unbelievably fast using those technical suits, beating me by a huge margin. But I know I worked much harder than they did. It is just not a fair competition anymore if we use those technical suits.” Because of this, some swimmers have voiced relief that FINA will shortly ban the LZR Racer. Phelps was one of the more vocal critics of the swimsuit, despite wearing it in every race in his eight-gold-medal onslaught in Beijing. “I do agree with Phelps,” Landgren said. “It is better to ban the suit in 2010. That way, we could see our real times, not 'cheating' with super-fast suits. Also … not all swimmers have that suit; the playing field right now is not fair to everyone.” “This Deaflympics is most likely the last time I'll be wearing LZR Racer suit.” Another controversy about the suit is its often prohibitive cost. “The average athlete cannot afford these suits,” Weeden said. “However, more and more parents are spending ridiculous amounts of money for a suit that truly only benefits the world-class level athletes, where .01 of a second makes the difference between gold and silver.” Despite its heavy price tag, a LZR suit has a short life. “This suit itself only lasts for six to 12 wears,” Swimming World magazine publisher Brent Rutemiller told NPR in an April 2008 interview. “Michael Phelps could theoretically go through three or four swim suits at 500 dollars a pop at the Olympics.” The pending legislation to ban the suit will create more of an even playing field, Rutemiller said. Weeden said she does not believe it is necessary for a swimmer to use a technical swimsuit to win a gold. “I believe that the suit is just a small part of the equation,” she said. “The serious, competitive athlete with a champion’s mentality is competitive even without the technical suit.” |
 U.S. swimmer Jess Weeden. (Photo by Hugh Carey)
 Carlisle Robinson will wear Speedo's LZR Racer during her competitions next week. (Photo by Hugh Carey)
 U.S. swimmer Brian Bennett models the LZR Racer swimsuit. (Photo by Hugh Carey)
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