Arena Revenge Approved By FINA
2008-06-04
Craig Lord
The Speedo LZR Racer advantage may be at an end: FINA today approved the Arena Powerskin R-Evolution+. Revamped adidas and Mizuno also approved. The level playing field may be back in place in a suit-enhanced future in Beijing. Times will tell

The Speedo LZR Racer advantage may be at an end: FINA today approved the Arena Powerskin R-Evolution+ (the plus sign the company's choice for a suit we dubbed the Arena Revenge back in the days of a world-record storm in March and April).

Revamped versions of suits by adidas and Mizuno were also approved by the FINA Swimming Technical Committee. Manufacturers have one more meeting to be able to get a suit approved before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and that will take place on June 30.

Arena issued a statement saying: 'Arena is pleased to inform that today FINA was given its official feedback after analysing the application form for the approval of the new suit POWERSKIN R-EVOLUTION +, presented by Arena the last June 2. The new suit has been approved by FINA technical commission, and therefore it will be available to swimmers in the next International and National competitions.'

The company addeed: 'POWERSKIN R-EVOLUTION +, maintains all the innovative features already introduced with the POWERSKIN R-EVOLUTION suit (one single piece of fabric, zero seams on the front and just two low-profiled, thermo-fused sews (seams) and incredible light fabric: only 99g/sqm, ) with additional PU [polyurethane] panels, strategically placed to improve muscle compression'.

The level playing field may be back in place in a suit-enhanced future in Beijing. Times will tell.