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Article: Controversial Swimsuit Dominates Talk; As Teams Arrive in Beijing, Focus Isn't on Athletes, but What They're Wearing
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- August 5, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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When Mark Spitz won his record seven Olympic gold medals in 1972,
he looked as if he could have walked directly from the beach to the
pool. He wore a mustache, drag be damned. He used no cap, so his
hair flowed through the water. His swimsuit tied at the waist, and
might have otherwise been worn in the surf rather than an Olympic
race.
But when Spitz addressed the current state of swimming last month
-- a state in which times seem to get faster and faster with no
regard to Spitz's day -- his initial thought came through clearly:
"Give me one of those suits."
By now, the suit in question needs no introduction. The resume
for Speedo's LZR Racer -- developed with the help of NASA ...