New Swimsuits Unfair; Stick to Birthday Suits

Time to bring back Olympic tradition of competing naked, says columnist
By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 8, 2008 8:08 AM CDT
New Swimsuits Unfair; Stick to Birthday Suits
Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Michael Phelps of Ann Arbor, Michigan, adjusts his swimsuit as he answers reporters' questions while wearing a Speedo LZR racer swimsuit following a news conference introducing the high technology suit in New York, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008.    (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

No sporting record lasts forever, but these days, writes Bloomberg columnist Scott Soshnick, athletes are demolishing them with almost ridiculous frequency. At the US Olympic swimming trials this year, no fewer than nine records were broken or equaled—a function less of talent than of technology. Perhaps it's time to return to the old Olympic tradition of competing nude, which would level the playing field—not to mention boost ratings.

Skills still matter in athletics, of course, "just less than a decade ago." And while swimming, with its new full-body racing suits, has been the most visibly transformed sport, track stars are wearing strange full-body gear and even basketball players are seeking a competitive edge through new uniforms. Time to strip the athletes, then, for it's not in technological suits, but in birthday suits that the best athlete wins. (More nudity stories.)

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