This provoked a lawsuit from TYR Sport Inc, the second-largest swimwear maker, accusing him of disparaging Speedo's competitors.

TYR has also filed suit against the Warnaco's Speedo unit, alleging violations of antitrust law, restraint of trade and false advertising.

Fever pitch

Controversy in the swimming world is at fever pitch.

Some say the advantages are as much psychological as physical. Others say it will just add to the Australian team's expected dominance in the women's events.

Kitajima underlined his demands to be allowed to wear the LZR by wearing a T-shirt with the slogan "I am the swimmer" and other swimmers are weighing their options with less fanfare.

Mizuno shares fell 2.8 percent the day after Kitajima broke the 200-meter breaststroke world record after finally being allowed to wear an LZR suit this month.

In Holland, triple Olympic gold medalist Pieter van den Hoogenband tried several suits during the Dutch championships.

Although the freestyle swimmer has a contract with Nike, the American company allows him to wear other brands if they help him go faster. He appears to be leaning towards the LZR.

Nike has allowed all of its contracted swimmers to try the LZR suit at the US trials, but a spokesman declined to say whether that option would apply at the Games in Beijing. Nike is working with swimmers to "fine-tune" its own suit.

In Italy, where a disgruntled coach compared the LZR to "technological doping," the swimming federation said it could not force athletes to wear suits made by its sponsor, Arena.

"If Filippo Magnini ... wants to wear the Speedo suit in the final of the 100 meters of the Beijing Olympics, he is free to do so, but he'll have to pay a fine," a spokesman said.

World champion Magnini, one of Italy's best chances for Olympic gold, has said that with the LZR "mediocre swimmers suddenly become Martians." He appears likely to switch.

Diana, another Italian swimwear maker, also has designed a new suit - the Submarine Shining Arrow - in the three months since FINA, swimming's ruling body, ruled the LZR legal.

Germany's swimming federation has stood firm in the face of demands from its athletes to break the contract with official supplier Adidas, which has developed a prototype suit.

Steffen, the German swimmer, said the new Adidas suit seemed to be competitive.

"That's given a great lift to the atmosphere on the team. Now everyone can concentrate on training again," she said.

"Without the right amount of training the best suit in the world won't help at all."

(Shanghai Daily July 1, 2008)