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— Speedo's record-breaking suit passed another test at a meeting Saturday between the manufacturer and swimming's world governing body.
"FINA confirmed that all the swimsuits approved so far are complying with the specifications," a statement from the governing body said.
There have been 19 long-course world marks set since Speedo's LZR Racer suit was introduced in February. Nine additional world marks have been established through three days at the short-course world championships. All but one of the records have come with swimmers wearing the LZR.
The meeting had originally been planned to review future approval of new suits, but it turned into a debate about the suit that has taken over the record books in the last two months.
"As far as we're concerned, there is nothing wrong with our swimsuit, and it was agreed on at the meeting that it conforms with FINA's rules," Stephen Rubin, the chairman of Speedo holding company Pentland, told The Associated Press.
Critics of the LZR said it had illegal levels of buoyancy and called it "technological doping" because it combines a polyurethane layer with a layer of normal fabric.
"The discussion clarified that there was a broad understanding between the manufacturers and FINA that the rules were not meant and should not be interpreted as limiting the materials to (strictly) fabrics, but that other material could be used, as has already been the case for several years," FINA said.
The argument of Arena Group CEO Cristiano Portas, the leading opponent of the LZR, centered on the word "fabric," which he took as prohibiting polyurethane.
"I have to acknowledge that the other manufacturers had a broader understanding," Portas said. "The most important thing was to clarify the rules. Now that we know fabric is the same thing as material, we will develop a new suit."
Matt Zimmer, director of promotions for TYR, which also has a new suit that Arena has contended violated the rules, called the meeting "excellent."
"(FINA) want to go forward, not backward," he said. "And it would be counterintuitive for the manufacturers to go backward."
Other manufacturers at the meeting, which was closed to the media, included Diana, Descente, Adidas, Nike and Mizuno.
Zimmer said that the most important thing remaining to be clarified is the buoyancy rule.
"A lot of people say our suit and Speedo's are buoyant, but the fact is it's not buoyant, it's just really effective," he said.
Zimmer said FINA has no test to determine buoyancy.
"It was agreed that the manufacturers will submit to FINA a common proposal for additional criteria and corresponding methods of testing which may be included in the process," FINA's statement said.
