Skyline Swimming Suit Preference

There are so many skills that go into making a swim team successful. Skyline has won twenty-nine state championships over the years due to many influential factors. One of the things that people often overlook is the type and design of swimsuit a swimmer must wear. This has been a very controversial topic in the past, especially in the 2009 FINA (International Swimming Federation) world championships when high tech swimming gear, specifically the seamless polyurethane LZR (pronounced ‘laser’), was approved for competition.

The LZR set records almost immediately after it was released and, amazingly enough, at the end of 2009, broke 255 records. However, because it was believed that the enhanced performance was entirely due to the suits rather than the untampered talent of the competitors, the success was rendered meaningless.

Some records only lasted a few short days before being broken again by a new competitor with another high tech suit. These broken records were all considered futile when scrutinized in any way. Outraged coaches and other critics claimed that the high tech suits enabled a lack of quality technique, giving too much of an advantage over competitors.  

As time passed, the high tech suits continued to advance into an increasingly high level and fine tuned product, but were eventually restricted by FINA because of the negative impact and conflict that they had caused. The U.S delegation prepared to limit uniforms to only textile styles, as well as limit zippers and the amount of coverage that was to be allowed.

It is clear that a lot of time and energy is spent making the perfect swimsuits. Certain a variations go in and out of style and can have a tremendous impact on one’s performance in the water. They can equate the amount of drag and friction that a swimmer must endure as well as many other aspects to life in the pool.

The Skyline Women’s Swimming team has been fortunate in regards to their options of swimming attire. They have a choice between their average swimsuit and a recently added more conservative option which uses more fabric in the back and is composed of a thicker material. When asked about which swimsuit is most preferred, one of the team’s captains, Abby Bowler, said, ”we prefer the cut out swimsuits which have less covering because the others are tighter and harder to breathe in and usually the material is thicker.” Though most girls are more accustomed to less conservative suits, they enjoy having the other option. Abby thinks that having the two suits available will “improve people’s practices and meets.” She goes on to talk about the need to be wearing your suits extensively. It is always important to feel comfortable, whether that means a more conservative or less conservative outfit based on personal beliefs or otherwise; it can be one of the attributes conducive to a remarkable team.