By Dan Harris
C H A R L O T T E, N.C., June 25
— Swimmers used to believe that less is more: less hair, less material — more speed.
Recently, though, many swimmers have decided that more is more.
Swimmers wearing new, full-length bodysuits — called “Long John” suits — have broken at least 10 world records since May. And now many of the world’s top swimmers are taking the space-age suits for a test dive.
“It helped out a lot,” said gold medalist Brooke Bennett. “I felt a lot higher in the water. I even felt smoother in the water.”
Five-time gold medalist Jenny Thompson agrees. “People thought that the less material the better, the skimpier the swimsuit the faster [they were]. Now it’s the opposite. Now, because the material is so fast, it’s the more material the better.”
Sleek as a Shark
The Adidas suit, called the Equipment Bodysuit, maximizes a swimmer’s efficiency by compressing muscles. But one of the most popular new suits is a combination of high-technology and marine biology.
Speedo used laser scanning to model its design after the bodies of top swimmers. Then the company worked with Oliver Crimmen, a shark expert at the Natural History Museum in London, to design a material that is covered with V-shaped ridges. These ridges, known as dermal denticles, allow water to pass over the swimmer more effectively, creating a fabric that mimics sharkskin.
The end result? A body-hugging suit that takes up to 15 minutes to put on — and one that more than lives up to its name of “Fastskin.” The suit improves a swimmer’s glide through the water by reducing drag by up to 3 percent.
That’s a crucial advantage in a sport where fractions of a second can mean the difference between winning and losing, and between taking home a bronze Olympic medal or nothing at all.
Purists Cringe
These new suits, which are also manufactured by Nike and Tyr, make purists cringe and have launched a firestorm of controversy about whether they should be allowed in competition.
“It’s a fundamental philosophical change in the sport: from man in a near-naked state versus water, to man plus technology versus water,” says John Leonard of the American Swim Coaches Association.
U.S. swimmer Lenny Krayzelburg goes for a dip in his “Fastskin” suit. (Speedo)
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The Australian Olympic Committee unsuccessfully challenged the use of the suits, saying they made swimmers more buoyant and therefore conflicted with international rules banning “performance enhancing equipment.”
But some argue that the athletic wear advancements are part of a natural technical evolution that takes place in every sport, from the aerodynamic, hooded athletic gear in track, to nasal equine strips in thoroughbred racing.
“It doesn’t replace good coaching,” says Stu Isaac, Speedo’s vice president of promotion and marketing. “It doesn’t mean you don’t have to work as hard, that you can skip a morning workout.”
No Bodysuits at U.S. Olympic Trials
The board of USA Swimming banned full bodysuits from the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, which are expected to attract as many as 1,300 swimmers to Indianapolis Aug. 9-16.
The issue, officials said, was fairness. They wanted all swimmers to have access to the high-tech bodysuits at the meet, but only Adidas was able to manufacture enough suits in time for the trials. Without enough to go around, none will be allowed.
But the bodysuits will be appearing in Sydney. After heated international debate, FINA, the sport’s world governing body, approved the suits’ use in the summer Olympics, a decision that was supported in May by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Many athletes plan to wear them. Australian swimming sensation Ian Thorpe has committed to wearing one, and USA Swimming said several American swimmers also are interested in donning the “Long John.”
As long as that happens, look for full-body swimgear to continue making waves. 
ABCNEWS.com’s Tracy Ziemer contributed to this report.
Suit Isn’t For Everyone
The form-fitting, neck-to-toe bodysuit has made quite a splash in competition. Records are falling, swimming purists are angry and athletes are thrilled about the new technology.
But the new suits aren’t for everyone, experts say.
“The people in the shorter distances, especially in the freestyle, benefit the most from the suit,” says Kathleen Flynn, a spokesperson for USA Swimming.
That’s because the gripper fabric along the inner forearm of the suit replaces a swimmer’s sensory requirements, enabling a swimmer to “feel” the water through stronger friction. A freestyle stroke — with its windmill arm motion — particularly benefits from this technology.
But butterfly swimmers might reconsider wearing the bodysuit or at least modifying it, say Flynn and Speedo. Because the butterfly stroke requires a fuller range of arm motion, swimmers can feel encumbered by a suit that covers their arms and shoulders.
The bodysuit also can get some swimmers a little hot under the collar. Some athletes have reported feeling too warm in the bodysuit when swimming long distances, says Flynn.
In those cases, swimmers can opt for traditional suits made of the “Fastskin” fabric. Speedo also says athletes at the Olympics might also wear a bodysuit that goes only to the knees and leaves the arms bare.
Soon even the casual swimmer will be able to glide like a shark in a backyard pool. Speedo says its “Fastskin” suit will hit the stores in the fall, right after the Olympics.
The suit will retail for under $200 — Olympic medal not included.
— Tracy Ziemer, ABCNEWS.com
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