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less is more. :-)

I want a high-tech one-piece female swimsuit that turns transparent when images of it are broadcast.

Buried. The article is useless. It talks around the subject of the suit, but it doesn't give any facts about the suit. What is it that makes it notable?

Naked Swimmers...FTW!

I don't think it's fair to say the suits are unfair because other countries' Olympic squads have contractual obligations to manufacturers whose suits aren't as advanced. That's a result of putting business before performance. Where the suits might be considered unfair is their price - up to $5000 each - which puts them out of the reach of poorer countries. However, world-class training and facilities are out of reach of these countries too, and nobody talks about that aspect of the Olympics being unfair.

The suits are fine. Perhaps they will give a temporary advantage to some countries, but this will only spur further innovation. On the upside, perhaps the logical extension of banning the suits is to have all competitors swim naked.

eliminate all swim suits, compete in the nude...

Michael Phelps will be wearing one. I think it has helped his talented self already.

The IOC just needs to specify which materials can be used so everyone is wearing the same thing. Problem solved.

Let me get this straight...this new bionic swimsuit is aqua-powered, moves your arms and legs for you and is controlled by a 9 year old kid in Omaha via his Wii remote?

Ok...I didn't read the article.

Bunch of ***** crybabies.

fastskin ftw!!!

In the next episodes:
Can running shoes be too fast?
Do light T-Shirts allow basketball players jump higher?

Spandex pants! The next hot fashion trend! You all should see the compliments I get while wearing them at the supermarket.

Make 'em swim naked. It's the only sure way of a completely fair and highly rated Olympics event.

Uh oh! I think I just posted the above comment on the wrong Digg submission.

If watching the woman wearing the swimsuit makes me drive my car up a tree the, yes, it's too good.

Yeah... a swimsuit can be too good... if it has an 150hp 3 prop merc attached to the back.

Hehe, all you diggers were expecting girls in swimsuits!!

Unless they're going to switch to nude swimming they need to recognize that this is no different from technology improvements in other sports.

http://www.index.hr/images2/Jessica-Alba-skinnierV ...
Yes

Back to the Roots of Nudity..
Then it's and even playing field.

Yes. A swimsuit can be too good. See http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/2008_swi ...

I love the new swimsuit for the reason I love steroids and HGH. As a sports fan, I pay to see athletes perform superhuman feats that stretch the boundaries of what previous generations thought possible. Remove all restrictions and let's find out how far human beings can go. Long live Barry Bonds and Michael Phelps.

Ok so this mean's that if they find that a SUIT is PERFORMANCE ENHANCING all future swim races MUST BE DONE IN the NUDE?? Sheesh come on, PERFORMANCE enhanced material this is rediculous. I say let's pull the restricting bodies and see what we as HUMANS can accomplish with all of our Technology allowed as long as it's NOT DAMAGING to the HUMAN BODY!

"When it was used for the first time at meets in Missouri and Australia, three world records and two American records fell "
LOL the new records had nothing to do with swimming... [insert "adult" material here]

***** the suit- a fresh shave and some grease will get ya there in a jiffy.

Having worn my share of fastskins, I can say that the most significant effect of wearing one of these suits is added buoyancy. Since it's long been known that certain suits (e.g. wetsuits) are very buoyant, FINA rules are very clear about how much extra a suit may confer a swimmer. I wore an FS Pro (the previous model from the suit discussed ITA), and it's certainly helps a bit but isn't enough to fundamentally alter the sport.

Genetics can be unfair too, but no one complains that it's unfair that the disabled kid will never win. Should we ban people that just get lucky genes?

FTA: "In many sports, say basketball and badminton, this is a moot point—a pair of shoes won't make any real difference."

Ok, I challenge Michael Jordan to a game of basketball. I get to wear Reeboks and he has to wear high-heeled, wooden clogs strapped to cinderblocks. He'd still beat me but it would be a lot closer than if we had the same footwear.

FTA:
Ah, but therein lies the rub. Every athlete doesn't have access to this technology. When it comes to the Olympics, some countries have contractual obligations to other manufacturers."

Uhm - tough *****. Wear what is the best or lose and shut your mouth.

FTA: "Letting each swimmer wear Speedo's model would require an implied concession from other manufacturers that its suits are inferior."

- No its doesn''t. "Letting" means choice - they can wear what they want. There is no implication of anything.

I think the suit shouldn't matter if the swimmer is the one powering the movement. Technology is a good thing. Did drag racers bitch when supercharges were invented? No, they make you go faster. That's the point.

More information on the actual composition and science behind the suit:
http://www.popsci.com/gear-gadgets/article/2008-02 ...

As a long time competitive swimmer I do not see any problem with this suit. It does not cost 5000 as Flashman says. The full body version is only $500. Still a lot, but in the range of any elite athlete going to the Olympic games.

If all of the competitors are wearing the same suit then isn't that fair enough?

Unless the suit has some kind of propulsion system, the swimmer is still the one applying all the force and, therefore, responsible for his own victory. I see nothing wrong with this.

i am a swimmer, and look at the rate the records were falling at before these suits started coming out. i have worn them, they don't make such a compelling difference. its a matter of thousandths of seconds.

Obviously you're not a baller.

As a swimmer who has worn FastSkin in the past... These suits do help. But nowhere near the degree that I think most people are thinking. This isn't shaving seconds, half-seconds, or even tenths of seconds off of lap times. Its HELPING shave hundredths of seconds off. 99.99999999% of that shaving that second off is all in the swimmer's training and sometimes luck. When you're dealing with accuracy at that level, a push from a wall that is an inch off mark can make the difference between 18.23 second in a 50 meter sprint and 18.22 seconds (times pulled from head). I think these suits are fantastic and see no reason to ban them or enact rules against their use. Don't discount the swimmer for breaking these records by blaming it all on the suit and not giving them ample credit. Much of the recent improvement has to do with better understanding the bodies physiology and better training regimes to prepare for these events. Bravo to the swimmers who took down 15+ year old records. That is quite an accomplishment.

The line has to be drawn somewhere.

Weren't the original Greek Olympics performed in the nude?

Although I'm sure their real reasons for this had something to do with their love of for the *****, it does almost entirely eliminate unfair advantages.

clearly the only fair option is to compete nude. that way it only comes down to performance, no other variables. the women compete nude. men don't swim right?

Who needs a high tech suit, eat a bowl of beans and provide your own propulsion.

"Can a swimsuit be too good?" Uh...no...but it can obviously be too opaque

Are people faster swimming in these suits, or faster swimming naked? Seriously.

This is no different from the sudden dominance of 2XU in triathlon. The whole point of sports technology is to improve individual performance beyond 'natural' human standards. They only work when combined with actual talent and ability though... I have an amazing 2XU Elite trisuit and still paddle like a drowning dog, but can I cycle at 30mph in it with a little effort.

Isn't it "mull" over? Popular Science needs some higher-performance editors.

The worst part about a FastSkin is that it takes as much energy to put it on (squeeze into it) as it does to swim the actual race. It should be RUINING these people instead of helping them! I don't understand!

Despite being a technology fiend I think that the competition is about who is the best swimmer, not who produces the best suit. Irrespective of personal beliefs against communism I think the only fair way to keep technology involved (we all know how well shunning it works, ahem RIAA) is to allow all the athletes the opportunity to purchase/use whatever suit they believe is best.

Tough decision ... allow all the swimmers to wear whatever they want, and someone will get the bright idea to strap a jetpack on their backs ... allow all the swimmers to wear whatever they want within reason, and all the old records will be shattered, not due to human ability alone but due to technological improvement merged with human ability, while those that can't afford the new technology will have no chance of winning a medal ... force all of the participants to wear a particular outfit, and you assume that a particular brand is technologically superior to all others ... force all competitors to swim in the nude, and -- hmmm, thinking -- and you might make some shy people blush (but I'd bet the ratings would jump) ... guess the best solution is to force all the competitors to swim in classic speedos -- as I don't really see a downside to that option ...

What's up with 10 % of the comments suggesting swimmers go nude as if they have a ***** original idea that they need to share?

I have no problem with people swimming in these suits as long as none of them go faster than 54 kilometres per hour. Animal testing has shown that it hurts to go faster than that. If these suits go faster than 88 miles per hour then they're travelling back in time which will affect their time scores, so that would really be unfair.

I find it funny that these people would want the swimmers naked. There are many ways for anyone to get a look at a nude body.
Swimming is a competition among different people with different cultures. Honor is bestowed to the winner and his country for the best performance in a given category.

With regards to equipment, if only the rich can afford it, surely the poorer swimmer can borrow money to catch up on the advantage of the other.