Those slick full-body outfits you see on so many swimmers at the 2000 games is the latest wave in speed enhanced swimwear. Already, swimming powerhouses like Ian Thorpe have worn the full-body suits to victory at the extra fast pool in Sydney, shattering several swimming records in the process.
Nothing sells like success, so expect young Olympic hopefuls to want the futuristic swimsuits too.
Gold medals don't come cheap, and companies like Speedo and Adidas say their full- body suits are well worth the investment. The speed improvements are relatively small, but in a sport where the margin of victory may be the length of a fingertip, any extra help counts. But researchers in the United States and Europe are now beginning to test whether these claims hold water. Dr. Joel Stager, a physiology professor and swimming buff at Indiana University, is comparing swim times from past Olympic games to see if the latest swimwear makes a difference in Sydney. Listed above are the average times for the men's 400-meter individual medley over the last several Olympic games.