Is the Speedo LZR Better Than Skinny Dipping?

The Olympics are that testament to human endurance and will to win through to the limits of their abilities. The games were started after a Greek athlete saw invaders coming and ran all the way home to warn his countrymen, the true spirit of goodwill in contrast to war. This is competition at its most critical, the life or death decision that makes a difference to the survival of your species. One of humanity's major survival advantage and disadvantage is their brain. We can think, analyze, create, and use tools but it takes a lot of oxygen and fuel to make it work.

So is winning no matter what the inequities involved the purpose of the games? Why then the rulings on the use of drugs to enhance performance? One point about drugs is that unlike a swimsuit, their longterm use is not detrimental to the health of an athlete. Why then the separation between the sexes? Should the swimming suit be a tool to enhance performance or just some way to provide modesty? The Speedo LZR has fueled this debate once more.

The Speedo LZR is a product of research in wind tunnels and was built with winning athletes in mind. The swimsuit is made of materials that dry quickly, reduce resistance in the water, shape the body so it can work most efficiently, and funnel water away from the body. The biggest issue behind the Speedo LZR is not everyone will have access to this swimsuit when they compete in the Olympics. Is this fair? Should their use be limited until everyone can wear one or should they be permanently banned like drugs?

When I swam in swim team in high school, we were very aware of our swimsuit. We wanted a swimsuit that could take the plunge when the shot rang out at the start, without collecting water inside the suit, without, having any fly back when you hit the water, and without limiting your ability to reach in your stroke. The cut of the shoulder made all the difference as did the quality of the material. We didn't want a swimsuit that looked good and bore team colors primarily, we wanted one that didn't resist our efforts. We had to wear a swimsuit because of modesty issues, we never hoped for a swimsuit to help us out. It is truly nice to hear there is one.