Faskskin LZR controversy

The technical suit Fastskin LZR which was launched January 12, 2008 has been the topic of controversy in the swimming world. The fabric used is called the LZR pulse fabric and it is composed of a lightweight fabric with polyurethane panels used to reduce drag. The suit acutally increases the body's buancy in the water. The controversy is the idea that the technology is outweighing acutal performance. Is the LZR fair is the question? Since the release of the LZR nearly 20 world records have been broken while wearing this suit. During the Bejiing Olympics, American Michael Phelps broke Mark Spitz's old record of 7 gold metals in a single olympics with a little help from the Speedo LZR. I am not taking away anything from Phelps, the world knows he trained harder than everyone else (and probably ate more), but lots of other records were and are being crushed using the LZR. The reason it is unfair is that this technology is not available to every athlete making the playing field uneven. Certain countries have obligations to other companies such as Nike, Adidas, and arena. The full leg suit is banned in NCAA competition due to its very apparent advantages, and that not every school can afford them.

This topic is going to keep coming up in the sporting world because of the constant improvements in technology. In our class we discuss how technology impacts education, but it effects other areas of the world just as much as education. Here are the links which explain this controversy in greater detail.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23832501/

http://www.xomba.com/speedo_lzr_racer_swimsuit_kicking_up_more_controversy