Zhou Yafei, the Asian record holder of the women's 100m butterfly, echoed Zhang in saying an athlete's suit should depend on his or her personal preference.

"From the very beginning, I didn't like them (the Speedo suits)," she said. "I have tried their previous products and I think it is too tight and I cannot stretch my arms or even walk in it.

"For athletes, it is more of a habit thing. Some athletes love Speedo but some choose Arena or Nike. You just cannot keep switching from one to the other."

Unfair advantage

The swimmers' stunning performances raised concern at swimming world governing body FINA, which is worried the $550 bodysuit gives an unfair advantage to countries sponsored by Speedo, since the suit is not universally available.

There is, in fact, no guarantee Australian swimmers will be allowed to wear the new Speedo suits. Top swimming officials will hold talks with the manufacturer this month for further investigation into its technology.

Cornel Marculescu, executive director of Lausanne-based FINA, said there are two main issues of concern - the thickness of the suit and its availability.

"We have to review this, but there is no scientific test to say if a suit supports performance," he told Swimnews.com.

"The number one priority is that all suits are made available to everyone at the moment of launch. Any innovation should be available to everybody."

Bodysuits have stirred controversy since their introduction into swimming 10 years ago.

After FINA gave the green light in 2000, top manufactures poured money into bodysuit development. But the debate over whether they break rules against buoyancy still rages.

The Speedo suit is notable for its body-stabilizing supports and its ability to reduce drag.

Other manufacturers offer suits with special properties of their own and they too have had their successes, including victories at these recent competitions.

Arena, with world and Olympic champion Laure Manaudou, launched its R-Evolution suit in Eindhoven, and Adidas, the brand once worn by Ian Thorpe, will unveil its new suit shortly.

(China Daily April 3, 2008)