“This Mess Needs to Be Stopped “: Michael Phelps’ Coach Once Threatened to Pull Away Legend From Swimming, Until Unfair Technology Was Banned

The decade of LZR Racer swimming suits witnessed records broken at a frantic pace. Many swimmers, including Michael Phelps, used the swimsuit while bringing them unparalleled success. Swimmers altogether broke 23 world records, and the swimsuits became controversial. One year passed after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and the 2009 Aquatics World Championships saw the discussion blow up as Paul Biedermann defeated Michael Phelps. It became a turning point for the use of swimsuits in major competitions. 

In the words of Phelps’ coach Bob Bowman, he discussed how the German swimmer had an unfair advantage wearing the Arena X-Glide swimsuit. Hence, all hell broke loose. Significantly, Bowman threatened to take Phelps out of the competition. 

Michael Phelps speaks up!

During the 200-meter freestyle event, Biederman smashed Phelps’ world record by donning the latest swimsuit. He competed in the Arena X-Glide, a new model of polyurethane suit that promotes buoyancy. It also offered a frictionless glide across the water. In the meantime, Phelps wore the Speedo LZR Racer, another controversial swimwear. Paul broke the world record by taking.96 seconds off the previous one. He estimated the suit gained him valuable seconds during the race. 

Phelps applauded Paul for his victory but dismissed the suits instead of the swimmer. He explained the focus on swimsuits globally and how it changed the entire complexion of the sport. Coach Bowman did not want to go further ahead and wanted to pull Phelps from the future races. “This mess needs to be stopped right now…We’ve lost all the history of the sport,” said Bowman.

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Wanting the suit to be banned, FINA issued a response to ban these suits from 2010. Even Biedermann accepted the advantages of wearing it and how it helped swimmers take off valuable seconds from the clock. 

Arena X-Glide vs LZR Racer

There were many advantages for Biedermann compared to Phelps’ suit. The X-Glide-assisted swimmers to float well while channeling all the force needed to move forward. The swimsuits naturally helped swimmers to stay afloat while giving a clear advantage to the swimmers. Meanwhile, it trapped air and assisted swimmers across the water while facing less drag moving inside the pool. 

As for the LZR Racer, Speedo asked NASA to develop a suit to reduce drag. It made the swimmers more hydrodynamic, and the zipper of the swimsuit shut down air from entering the body, leaving the swimmer like a streamlined tube. Both suits created controversies, and they became a cause of concern. Rightly so, they banned the swimsuit in 2010, allowing swimmers to showcase talents rather than technology. Do you think Phelps would have broken seven world records if he did not wear the suit?

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