Australian swimming star Leisel Jones has added her voice to the controversy over the use of hi-tech swimming suits in the sport. The winner of gold medals at the last two Olympic Games says swimming is now becoming more about swimsuits than about the sport.
Leisel Jones , Olympic Swimming Champion, said, "I certainly think that swimming is becoming more about suits, it's not about swimming any more and it's more about how much money you can throw into the suit for the better performances. So I think it's a little bit difficult, it's a tricky situation but, I mean, is it about swimming or is it about suits? It's certainly not about athletes performing fast any more, it's about how fast the suit performs, so I'm certainly pretty opinionated about the suits and I think that there are certainly better ways they can go about it, and I think a little bit more research needs to be done."
The world and Olympic 100 metres breaststroke champion has decided not to go to the world championships this year in Rome. Swimming's governing body FINA caused controversy earlier this week by approving new suits totally covered in polyurethane to aid buoyancy. The old suits only had polyurethane plates. Swimmers with fully covered suits have set more than 100 world records in the past 18 months.
(CCTV June 25, 2009)
