Kathy Willens / AP

Athletes from the United States swim team model highly technical swimsuits during a news conference debuting Speedo's new Fastskin 3 swimsuit in New York, Nov. 30, 2011. Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps is shown, fifth from right.

I'm fascinated by the "arms race" of technology in swimsuit design. I wonder what the Chinese and Australians have up their sleeves.

Reuters reports:

NEW YORK - The bodysuit war that reduced the 2009 swimming world championships to farce and effectively turned the sport into a battle of technology could erupt again on Wednesday when Michael Phelps takes to the catwalk to launch a new outfit for next year's London Olympics.

Phelps was bitterly opposed to the now-banned swimsuits that were used in Rome two years ago, refusing to wear them because he believed they aided buoyancy, but he is getting ready to promote a new space-age suit.

Eduardo Munoz / Reuters

U.S. Olympic gold medallist swimmer Michael Phelps (L) and U.S. swimmer Natalie Coughlin model the new Speedo brand swimsuits "Speedo FASTSKIN3" at a news conference in New York Nov. 30, 2011.

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