Adidas defends swimsuit
30/06/2009
Sports brand adidas has moved to defend its new Hydrofoil swimsuit after suggestions from top athletes that the technology will probably face an official ban next year.
The company said it was delighted that the suit, constructed from a new ultra-lightweight and paper-thin woven fabric, which features a fully laminated PU foil, had won approval from the sport’s governing body, FINA, for swimmers to wear it at the World Championships in Rome in July.
Several adidas swimmers have already worn the Hydrofoil during recent meets in preparation for the World Championships.
Britta Steffen set a two successive world records in the 100 metres freestyle at the end of June in the German Championships, ultimately achieving a time of 52.56 seconds. Other athletes to set national records wearing the suit have included Helge Meeuw from Germany and David Davies from the UK.
Adidas began developing the new swimsuit last year immediately after the Beijing Olympics in an attempt to help athletes stay drier, lighter and more slick in the water. It says it has designed the suit to reduce drag and improve laminar flow of water around the body, resulting in more fluid and faster swimming. In addition, the suit provides improved body compression to increase stability, efficiency, endurance and breathability.
“In essence, the Hydrofoil swimsuit moulds the swimmer into a more streamlined shape and helps them to move more efficiently through the water,” said Christine Barth, business unit director for swimming at adidas. “We’re proud to provide many of the top athletes competing in the FINA World Championships with the next generation of swimsuit technology.”
The company quoted Britta Steffen as saying: “I’m continually working with adidas to test and provide feedback on their latest swimsuit technologies. The Hydrofoil is the most advanced and comfortable one I’ve tried to date as it doesn’t absorb any water and reduces drag for a smooth and consistent feel in the water.”
However, after one of her world-record-breaking swims in June, the swimmer was widely quoted as having said she expected the Hydrofoil to be banned. FINA has recently declared a series of world-record times invalid because of the construction of the swimsuits athletes chose to wear. It said it would look at the matter again after the World Championships.
Asked for its reaction to the speculation surrounding the Hydrofoil, an adidas spokesperson told sportstextiles.com: “Adidas was very pleased FINA approved our new Hydrofoil suit and that our world-class swimmers will be able to wear it at the World Championships in Rome next month. We always respect the FINA rules and work within their guidelines to create the most innovative and high-performance swim products for our athletes. We look forward to the new FINA rule book in 2010 and when the new rules are announced we will work within those regulations.”
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