Michael Phelps Once Threatened to Quit Swimming Internationally in the Era of Shiny Swimsuits

In 2008, Michael Phelps was at the top of the athletes’ mound. A record eight wins out of eight at the Beijing Olympics was a testament to it. The swimmer made one record after the other and stood in a league of his own; there was no catching him. But, the following year, Phelps faced his first defeat in five years in the 200m freestyle event. Germany’s Paul Biedermann clinched a piece of history as he beat Phelps to the first place.

Phelps’ loss wasn’t the most talked-about topic. It was the swimsuit that Biederman wore that made the headlines. The matter was so severe that Michael threatened to stop racing internationally until it was finally resolved.

Michael Phelps did not want to swim

The issue at hand was the use of 100% full-bodied polyurethane swimsuits. Michael Phelps and his coach, Bob Bowman, clarified that Phelps would not race until the suits were banned immediately. Bob told the press that the revolutionary suits should be banned immediately rather than waiting for a few months. He also said his recommendation to Michael would be to not race.

In agreement with his coach, Michael, said, “He [Bowman] chooses what’s right for me and what’s right for my training. That’s his decision.” Biedermann, who was at the center of controversy, took a diplomatic approach to the matter at hand. He said the suits definitely make a difference in performance.

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Paul also mentioned that the sport of swimming was in grave danger of what was to come next. He expressed his desire to beat Phelps without the advantage of the suit before the London Olympics. “I hope there will be a time I can beat Michael Phelps without the suit, of course, and I hope that it could be next year or the next two years, but I also think it’s not all about the suit.”

What was the controversy around the suits?

The ‘revolutionary’ suits caused a lot of unwanted stir in the swimming world. Many of the top-ranked swimmers in the world expressed their displeasure over its use. But what was it about the suits that caused such a row?

The swimmers need to reduce as much drag as possible while in water. That’s why they wear such hugging and uncomfortable-looking caps; to reduce head hair drag. To further reduce the drag, suits were introduced. They were made of extremely thin material, enclosing tiny pockets of gas. This made the swimmers far more buoyant and subject to less drag. Another question that arose was: why don’t all the swimmers wear these suits? The simple explanation was that they took away the thrill of the sport and made it rather mechanical. The suits were so efficient that the 2009 World Championships saw 20 new world records being made.

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In 2010, they banned the suits and set new regulations in place. For men, suits were not to extend beyond their naval or knees. While for the women, it could not extend beyond their knees. And their shoulders and neck were to remain uncovered.