Dubai meeting agrees swimsuit rules

CLEAN BEACH: FINA aiming for 'clean' swimming pools. (Getty Images)

At a meeting in Dubai swimming's ruling body FINA agreed on Saturday new standards for technical swimsuits that will be in place for August's world championships in Rome.

The new guidelines mean a ban on individually tailored suits or swimmers wearing more than one technical suit at a time.

The new rules come after 108 world records were set in the past 12 months, leaving critics to say that swimming was becoming a technological rather than a sporting battle.

The suits will be limited to a maximum thickness of 1mm (0.04 inch) and with a restricted buoyancy effect. Suits may not extend past the shoulders or ankle. The new regulations also ban external aids for the swimmer, such as pain reduction or electro-stimulation.

The suits cannot be customised for individual athletes, according to FINA's statement, released at the end of a three-day executive meeting in Dubai.

The debate about changing the rules governing swimwear resulted from the overwhelming effect that the introduction of high-tech suits such as Speedo's LZR Racer have had on the sport.

Some swimming federations and athletes from poorer nations have complained that the costly suits offer an unfair advantage.

"FINA reaffirms that it will continue monitoring the evolution of the sport equipment with the main objective of keeping the integrity of the sport," the FINA statement said.

"FINA wishes to recall that the main and core principle is that swimming is a sport essentially based on the physical performance of the athlete."

FINA was criticised for allowing the suits to be used at last year's Beijing Olympics and failing to provide a clear distinction between an acceptable suit and one that enhances performance.

Opponents have said that the suits create changes in buoyancy levels and amount to "technological doping."

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