LZR Racer: Am I seeing what I think I am seeing on this swimmer?

Question

Are these swimsuits really that tight? I honestly could care less about any type of competitive advantage that suits could provide, I am deciding whether I should allow my children to watch the Olympic games. If I am correct about what this is showing, shouldn't there be a point where tight equals too tight?

Answer 1

If it's news to your children that adult men have penises and adult women have vulvas, then you have bigger fish to fry than whether or not to allow them to watch the Olympics.

(The spell check says the plural of v***a is vulvae, but I don't know about that one!)

I am having a hard time figuring out what it is you will have to "explain earlier than necessary" if they already have a basic working knowledge of human genitalia.  I also think you are confusing "innocence" with "ignorance" if you think that explaining the differences between men and women will go against preserving their innocence.  And I certainly never said you were a villain!  Although I could have very fairly called you a bit of a prude.

Answer 2

They are extremely tight to wear.. just like all previous versions of the Fastskin suits were. However, they aren't see-through, they aren't inappropriate to wear, and they don't emphasize any body parts more so than what than your kids would see on a day at the beach.  If you're embarassed about the human body, then it's your decision to not watch with your children.  Would you prefer Olympic athletes start racing in cotton bathing suits to appease your morals?  It's ridiculous that you would attack a sport and athletes for wearing a uniform that's sole purpose is to allow them to compete to their full potential.  It's not like they're strutting their packages down your hometown streets.

Answer 3

Your actual question is whether or not it's too much when there's that much camel-toe, right?

Answer 4

Competition suits are tight.  There is absolutely no way around that.  However you have to consider the sport itself.  Swimming is underwater so often (not always) the camera is above water and you only have a few close up shots.  

I agree the suits are tight but swimming is not a very covered sport.  There is a point where swimsuits equal too tight but these suits are designed so they are tight in the correct places.  You wouldn't want a suit that is too tight in the shoulders so shoulder movement would be restricted.  

These olympics are going to be incredible for swimming with new stars up and coming.  I personally believe it would be shame for a child not to be able to watch history in the making.  Maybe you could only focus on that channel when the swimmers are in the middle of a race and change it when they do live interviews right after their race?

Answer 5

If you have the time, uniwatch had a nice entry on this a month or two ago:

http://www.uniwatchblog.com/2008/02/13/f...

Among the highlights, Michal Phelps has a crotch tattoo of the olympic rings: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2112/2261...

And Amanda Beard is not aptly named: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2063/2261...

yeah, you might need to explain a few things to your kids. Like the Amanda Beard Joke.

Answer 6

Yes, the suits are revealing, but I think much of that is due to how the product is shown in promotional photography (e.g. harsh lighting). I happen to think the art director made some unfortunate/unflattering choices during this photo shoot.

Earlier versions of racing suits have been nearly as tight and revealing. Did you notice that in previous Olympics coverage? No? Why not? Because NBC cameras tend to concentrate on shoulders-and-up views of the swimmers when they are out of the water. Especially when they are wet.  

The majority of people who spend their lives around the pool aren't freaked out by nudity (or the illusion of nudity). I'm one of those people. It's the human body. Relax.

Answer 7

After looking at the photo, yes, they are tight and don't leave much to the imagination.  Much has been shared already in the previous responses which I will not repeat.  My encouragement to you in making your decision about whether your children should watch the summer Olympics is to realize that the swimmers will not be posed like they are in the article photo.  Most likely what the cameras will show us when close is head and shoulders - perhaps upper torso also.  When the full suit is shown, it'll will be a distance shot and the swimmers will be on the blocks hunched over ready to dive in or actually in the water.  In that case, the genitalia will not be seen.

While I respect Speedo and enjoy wearing their briefs for swimming, this suit seems to be similar to the Nike Teraz which was pulled from the market because it was considered too revealing.  It is possible that we will see the same response to the LZR and it will be pulled which will give it an incredible value on e-bay.

Answer 8

Don't confuse tight with compression.  When a suit compresses a muscle, the muscle does not shift perpendicular to the direction of pull.  What does THAT mean?  

The bicep pulls from the shoulder down to the lower arm and is primarily used to bend (flex) the elbow.  The direction of pull is called longitudinal.  While working, the pull of a muscle is in one direction only.   However, in addition to that longitudinal pull, the muscle has a tendency to shake side to side.   In doing so (shaking), some of the power of the muscle is lost.

By compressing the muscle, there is less side to side shake which means that there is more power to the direction the muscle is pulling.

Answer 9

I bet Phelps gets a lot of ******

Nice suit!! Here are my eyes --->   O_O

Anatomy lesson 101 brought to you by the Olympic swimmers.

Answer 10

Why couldn't they make those designs for the '84 Olympics so I wouldn't have to see Greg Louganis in a speedo.

Answer 11

I have a siut like that. I usually wear it to the bar. The ladies really like the revealing nature of the suit. But of course my bulge looks much more "grand" than his. The constricting feel makes the beer flow much more smoothly....You really should get one.

Answer 12

Competition suits have always been tight and have not left much to the imagination for quite a few years now. The pose and lighting of the picture you linked to may be partially to blame as well. In the water and during action, it may not look so bad. Then again....

My son will stll be allowed to watch and if I have a problem with it, we will use it as a chance to discuss what is appropriate attire and why.