FINA's 202 approved swimsuits did not include the Arena X Glide worn by Bernard who set the 100 record last month becoming the first man to crack the 47 seconds barrier with 46.94. The list also did not contain the Jaked 01 worn by Frederick Bousquet when he broke the 50m freestyle world record at the same French Championships in April.
Alarmed by more than 100 world records in the past 18 months, most from swimmers wearing new technology suits, FINA decided to reassess the standards of the suits.
At the heart of the controversy are new suits totally covered with polyurethane to aid buoyancy. The old suits only had polyurethane plates. "After reviewing 348 swimsuits from 21 manufacturers.... the FINA Executive decided the following: 202 swimsuits approved, 10 swimsuits rejected for not passing the tests of buoyancy and/or thickness."
FINA said 136 other swimsuits needed to be modified to meet its requirements.
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