Another twist in swimsuits saga
A NUMBER of banned swimsuits that could have been worn in Aland have now been legalised by Fina, the sport's governing body.
A NUMBER of banned swimsuits that could have been worn in Aland have now been legalised by Fina, the sport's governing body.
Swimming was revolutionised last year by the introduction of space-age style body suits that have led to world records falling like dominoes.
Fina released a list of approved suits and they will be checking swimmers' costumes at the World Championships in Rome next month to see if they comply.
The organiser of the Island Games swimming events, Kjell Hansen, had initially said that there would be no restrictions on suits.
However, when it was pointed out to him that all the sports at the Island Games have to abide by the rules of their governing body, therefore swimming has to comply with Fina's instructions, he said that they will look into the matter before the competition gets under way.
But in the latest twist in the saga, Fina has just announced that they have approved a number of hi-tech racing suits that had initially been rejected for the World Championships.
Among those passed are the X-Glide and Jaked 01.
The emergence of some swimsuits in recent years had caused controversy because some experts, including some top swimmers, believe they give an unfair advantage in the pool.
Critics of the all-polyurethane suits claim the compression and buoyancy they offer, known as 'air-trapping', help boost speed.
The old suits only had polyurethane plates.
Fina had already stipulated swimsuits should not cover the neck and must not extend past the shoulders and ankles, and had limited the thickness and buoyancy of the suits.
