Can we accredit the times to new suits, and improvements in technique and training?

Question

Can we accredit the times to new suits, and improvements in technique and training?

Answer 1

The technique and training have improved a lot but the suits have given the swimmers a mental edge too.

Answer 2

For sure

Answer 3

New suits did a lot - I would say especially in the freestyle events.  Last year a 48.2 won world champs, this year there are about 18 men under that time.  They didn't all get a second faster in 12 months.  The freestyle relays world records were broken by about a second per hundred.  That is about on par with the improvement in the top freestylers in the world.