Ripple Effects: How the Absence of Super Suits Would Have Transformed 15 Years of Swimming Records

The subsequent year, in preparation for the 2009 World Championships, other swim companies realized that fully covering tech suits in polyurethane provided even greater speed than Speedo’s strategic panel placement. Polyurethane enhances suit speeds due to its non-permeability, which traps air and boosts buoyancy. Additionally, these suits also improve performance because the polyurethane fabric was remarkably compressive around the entire body, encasing the swimmer in a plastic shell to maintain alignment, thereby minimizing lateral movement and the requirement for exceptional core strength. The combination of these two factors enables swimmers to maintain the ideal body position, a crucial detail for achieving maximum speed.

Since the polyurethane suits helped swimmers attain the perfect body position, those with superior body alignment and core strength were less influenced by the super suits compared to others. Specifically, as speed increases, so does the resistance that must be overcome. If you are a larger, more muscular individual, this becomes increasingly challenging given the larger surface area to contend with and the additional drag incurred. These polyurethane suits placed those robust, muscular swimmers in the same optimal body position as their slender counterparts, who could achieve such positioning much more easily without the suits. Therefore, with the suits, lean and powerful swimmers found themselves on equal footing. Consequently, these more muscular swimmers could leverage their strength to surge ahead of competitors, explaining why the suits impacted certain individuals more significantly than others (and surprisingly, this is also likely why the men’s freestyle events are still filled with super suit records, given that those swimmers of the time were notably muscular).

With these suits allowing some individuals to swim with such precision and significantly less effort, the stage was set for the “plastic games” in Rome in 2009. For the first and only instance in history, over 60 world records were broken in 2009, surpassing any other year in terms of records shattered. Due to numerous records being established under conditions that offered an unfair advantage for some, whether they were significantly affected by the suits or donned a superior super-suit (e.g., full polyurethane versus LZR Racer), World Aquatics (formerly FINA) prohibited these suits at the start of 2010, resulting in a stagnant record period for several years. Hence, we experienced a dormant record phase throughout the 2010s and early 2020s. Even today, the men’s long course world records are still populated with records from the super-suit era.

As many assert that competitive swimming has finally matched up to the super-suit era, these super-suit records have established a formidable benchmark for swimmers to strive towards. However, a debate continues over whether these records should be entirely expunged from the record books to highlight many remarkable swims that likely would have been world records throughout the 2010s if the records from 2008 and 2009 had not been achieved while utilizing super suits. This remains contentious, as although super-suits significantly contributed to the records from 2008 and 2009, many of those swims would likely still have stood as world records even in the absence of the suits, primarily since their impact on swimmers varied. The dilemma of removing all records is contentious, as is the current retention of them in the record books; thus, what alternative solutions exist?

We could strive for a hypothetical equilibrium between the two approaches, but how? As we’ve indicated, super suits provided an advantage, so let us attempt to determine this hypothetical balance by devising super-suit-adjusted times, where we subtract a designated amount of time from each super-suited record and examine how this adjustment alters recorded history since 2008 (the pre-super suit era).

Bear in mind that this is purely theoretical and not an ideal solution, similar to the previously discussed options. The methods used to ascertain the time deductions could also be refined (and I would be eager to see someone with access to the missing data undertake this). These specifics are detailed in the methodology and calculations, which outline precisely how I derived the subtracted times and all my calculations for the various events and suits.

Additionally, remember that the aim of this exercise is not to rewrite record history (as this is a generalization and there are immeasurable factors such as how effectively a specific individual swam on any particular day), but rather to illuminate the speed of the 2010s and early 2020s, as the super-suit records have obscured this reality. With that said, the approaches employed still provide an insightful perspective on what the past decade through today could have resembled had the records from the super-suit era been swum without the super suits. Enjoy the findings!

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Aggregate Modifications to World Record Totals by year:

• 2008: -42
• 2009: -38
• 2010: +13
• 2011: +16
• 2012: +27
• 2013: +12
• 2014: +6
• 2015: +5
• 2016: +7
• 2017: +9
• 2018: +3
• 2019: +3
• 2020: 0
• 2021: +4
• 2022: +2
• 2023: +1
• 2024: +1

We can derive significant insights from the modified record count visual above. The most striking distinction from the actual record count visualization by year is that 2008 and 2009 do not stand out as prominently; indeed, 2008 aligns more closely with the years surrounding it in terms of record totals. Although 2009 remains fairly elevated, this could be attributed to the confidence the super-suits instilled in athletes. Nevertheless, it is challenging to confirm this definitively. Another significant observation is that the average number of records per annum prior to and following 2008/09 appears comparable. Conversely, the average count is lower in the actual record figures after 2008/09. One final point of interest is that this visual highlights how extraordinarily rapid 2012 was.

Now, let’s recap how the record evolution in each event would adjust. If you’re interested, here’s a comprehensive summary of the actual and modified record evolution.

Men’s 50 Free: Alexander Popov’s record from 2000 would have persisted until Eamon Sullivan eclipsed it at the 2008 Australian Olympic Trials with his 21.28, which in these calculations translates to a 21.54. The record lineage would then continue with Frederick Bousquet achieving a converted 21.40 and Cesar Cielo posting a converted 21.37 (currently the world record at 20.91). This record would only be superseded in 2010 when Frederick Bousquet would have claimed it at the 2010 European Championships instead of Cielo’s record standing to this day. Thereafter, the record lineage would mirror the finest textile suit times.

Women’s 50 Free: Inge de Bruijn’s record from 2000 would not have been surpassed until Britta Steffen broke it at the 2009 World Championships with her 23.73, which in these calculations equates to 24.06. This record would only endure until 2012 when Ranomi Kromowidjojo would have taken it at the 2012 Olympics instead of Steffen’s mark lingering until 2017 when Sarah Sjostrom broke the record. The record chart would then follow the premier textile suit times since then.

Men’s 100 Free: Pieter van den Hoogenband’s record from 2000 would not have been surpassed until Alain Bernard tied it, and in the subsequent heat, Eamon Sullivan broke it in the semifinals at the 2008 Olympics with his 47.05, which with these calculations converts to 47.69. This record would only be surpassed in 2011 when James Magnussen would have broken it at the 2011 World Championships instead of Cielo’s 2009 mark lasting until 2022 when David Popovici broke the record. The record history would then follow the best textile suit marks since then.

Women’s 100 Free: Britta Steffen’s record from 2006 would not have been broken until she herself set a new record at the 2009 World Championships with her 52.22, which in these calculations translates to 53.01. This record would only stand until 2012 when Ranomi Kromowidjojo would have surpassed it at the 2012 Swim Cup Eindhoven meet instead of Steffen’s 2009 mark lasting until 2016 when Cate Campbell broke the record. The record lineage would then adopt the finest textile suit times ever since.

Men’s 200 Free: Michael Phelps’s record from 2007 would not have been broken until Paul Biedermann would have surpassed it at the World Championships in 2009 with his 1:42.00, which in these calculations equates to 1:43.63. This record would only persist until 2012 when Yannick Agnel would have broken it at the 2012 Olympic Games instead of Biedermann’s mark still being intact. The record history would then follow the best textile suit times since then.

Women’s 200 Free: Laure Manaudou’s record from 2007 would not have been eclipsed until Federica Pellegrini broke it at the 2009 World Championships with her 1:53.67, which with these calculations converts to 1:55.27. The record history would thereafter remain with Pellegrini achieving a converted 1:54.58 (from her 1:52.98). This record would only persist until 2012 when Allison Schmitt would have broken it at the 2012 Olympics instead of Pellegrini’s record lasting until 2023. The record lineage would then follow the prime textile suit times since then.

Men’s 400 Free: Ian Thorpe’s record from 2002 would never have been surpassed… NEVER!!! Ian Thorpe’s record from 2002 would still stand in 2025.

Women’s 400 Free: Laure Manaudou’s record from 2006 would not have been broken until Federica Pellegrini surpassed it at the 2009 World Championships with her 3:59.15, which with these calculations converts to 4:01.73. This record would only last until 2012 when Camille Muffat would have taken it at French Nationals instead of Pellegrini’s record lasting until 2014. The record history would then follow the best textile suit times since then.

Men’s 800 Free: Grant Hackett’s record from 2005 would not have been broken until Sun Yang eclipsed it at the World Championships in 2011 with his 7:38.57, contrasting with Zhang Lin’s 2009 record still intact today. The record history would then follow the best textile suit times since then.

Women’s 800 Free: Janet Evans’s record from 1989 would not have been broken until Katie Ledecky claimed it at the 2012 Olympics with her 8:14.63, in contrast to Rebecca Adlington’s 2008 record lasting until 2014 when Ledecky broke it. Ledecky’s new record from 2012 would also be eclipsed by her performance in 2014!

Men’s 1500 Free: The record history would remain unchanged for this event as there was never a super-suited record. (Grant Hackett was just that remarkable.)

Women’s 1500 Free: The record history would maintain the same trajectory for this event as there was never a super-suited record. (Kate Ziegler was simply that exceptional)

Men’s 50 Back: The record history would persist through the super-suit period with Liam Tancock clocking a 24.30 instead of 24.04. His record would then be bested the following year by Camille Lacourt instead of lasting until 2018 when Kliment Kolesnikov broke it. Following Camille Lacourt‘s new record, the record history would then follow the best textile times.

Women’s 50 Back: Yang Li’s record from 2007 wouldn’t have been broken
“`until Sophie Edington at the 2008 Australian Championships with her 27.67 which with these computations translates to a 27.93. This benchmark then wouldn’t be surpassed until Daniela Samulski shattered it at the 2009 World Championships with her 27.39 converting to a 27.90. The last super-suited record set by Zhao Jing with a time of 27.06 would be transformed to a 27.57. This record would only persist until 2010 when Gao Chang broke it at the Chinese Nationals, rather than Jing’s mark enduring until 2018. The record narrative would then continue to reflect the finest textile suit times ever since that point.

Men’s 100 Back: Aaron Peirsol’s record from 2007 wouldn’t have been overtaken until he exceeded it himself at the 2009 US National Championships with a 51.94, which with these computations translates to 52.58. This record would only be maintained until 2010 when Camille Lacourt broke it at the European Championships instead of Peirsol’s record standing until 2016. The record narrative would then continue to reflect the finest textile suit times ever since that point.

Women’s 100 Back: Natalie Coughlin’s record from 2007 wouldn’t have been surpassed until Kirsty Coventry broke it at the 2008 Olympics with a time of 58.77, which with these computations converts to 59.41. The record history would then remain in 2009, concluding the supersuit era with Gemma Spofforth achieving a converted 58.89 from her 58.12. This record would only last until 2011 when Sinead Russell surpassed it at the 2011 Canada Cup instead of Spofforth’s benchmark enduring until 2017. The record history would then continue to reflect the best textile suit times ever since that point.

Men’s 200 Back: Ryan Lochte’s record from 2007 wouldn’t have been surpassed until Aaron Peirsol broke it at the 2009 World Championships with his time of 1:51.92, which with these calculations translates to a 1:53.50. Rather than this record remaining intact today, it would only persist until 2011 when Lochte broke it at the 2011 World Championships. With Lochte’s performance in this race being the top textile time 13 years later, the record would still stand.

Women’s 200 Back: Krisztina Egerszegi’s record from 1991 wouldn’t have been broken until Kirsty Coventry eclipsed it at the 2008 Olympics with her 2:05.24 converting to 2:06.37. Her super-suited record from 2009 would have also remained intact as she swam a converted 2:06.00 at the World Championships. Missy Franklin would finally surpass it at the 2011 World Championships with her 2:05.90 in contrast to Coventry’s record enduring until 2012 when Franklin set a new mark at the Olympics.

Men’s 50 Breast: Oleg Lisogor’s record from 2002 wouldn’t have been broken until Cameron van der Burgh surpassed it at the 2009 World Championships with a time of 26.67, which with these calculations converts to a 27.15. This record would only hold until 2011 when he would again break it at the World Championships, instead of his 2009 mark lasting until 2014. The record history would then continue to reflect the best textile suit times ever since that point.

Women’s 50 Breast: Jade Edmistone’s record from 2006 wouldn’t have been surpassed until Yuliya Efimova broke it at the 2010 European Championships with her 30.29, contrasting with Jessica Hardy’s 2009 benchmark, which lasted until 2013 when Efimova defeated it. The record history would then follow the best textile times since then.

Men’s 100 Breast: Brendan Hansen’s record from 2006 wouldn’t have been exceeded until Kosuke Kitajima broke it at the 2010 Pan Pacs with a time of 59.04, contrasting with Brenton Rickard’s 2009 record which persisted until 2012 when Cameron van der Burgh surpassed it. The record history would then continue in line with the best textile times since that point.

Women’s 100 Breast: Leisel Jones’s record from 2006 wouldn’t have been broken until Rebecca Soni eclipsed it at the 2010 Pan Pacs with her 1:04.93, contrasting with Jessica Hardy’s 2009 record alike, which lasted until 2013 when Ruta Meilutyte broke it. The record history would then follow the fastest textile times since that point.

Men’s 200 Breast: Brendan Hansen’s record from 2006 wouldn’t have been surpassed until Kosuke Kitajima broke it at the 2010 Pan Pacs with his 2:08.36, contrasting with Christian Sprenger’s 2009 record lasting until 2012 when Daniel Gyurta surpassed it. The record history would then align with the best textile times since that point.

Women’s 200 Breast: This record history would remain the same except the records from 2008 and 2009 would never have been established, therefore Leisel Jones’s record from 2006 wouldn’t have been broken until Rebecca Soni surpassed it at the 2012 Olympics with her 2:20.00. The record narrative would then continue to reflect the world records since then.

Men’s 50 Fly: The record history would persist through the super-suit era with Rafael Munoz swimming a 22.91 instead of 22.43. His record would then be set in 2012 by Cesar Cielo with his 22.76, instead of Munoz’s mark lasting until 2018 when Andriy Govorov broke it, which of course is where the record remains today.

Women’s 50 Fly: Therese Alshammar’s record from 2007 wouldn’t have been broken until Jeanette Ottesen surpassed it at the 2012 Maria Lenk Trophy with her 25.29, contrasting with Alshammar’s 2009 record lasting until 2014 when Sarah Sjostrom shattered it by eight tenths with her 24.24, which remains the record today.

Men’s 100 Fly: Ian Crocker’s record from 2005 wouldn’t have been eclipsed until Michael Phelps surpassed it at the 2009 World Championships with his 49.82, which with these calculations translates to a 50.38. This record would only hold until 2017 when Caeleb Dressel broke it at the World Championships during prelims, semis, and again in finals, instead of Phelps’ mark from 2009 lasting until 2019 when Dressel would have exceeded it anyway. The record history would then continue to reflect the best textile suit times ever since that occurrence.

Women’s 100 Fly: Inge de Bruijn’s record from 2000 wouldn’t have been surpassed until Dana Vollmer broke it at the 2011 World Champs with her 56.47, contrasting with Sarah Sjostrom’s 2009 record lasting until 2012 when Vollmer defeated it at the 2012 Olympics. The record narration would then follow the best textile suit times ever since that time.

Men’s 200 Fly: This record history would remain constant except the records from 2008 and 2009 were never established, thus Michael Phelps’ record from 2007 wouldn’t have been exceeded until Kristof Milak broke it at the 2019 World Championships with a time of 1:50.73. The record history would then continue to reflect the world records since that point.

Women’s 200 Fly: Jessicah Schipper’s record from 2006 wouldn’t have been exceeded until Liu Zige broke it at the 2009 Chinese National Games with her 2:01.81 which with these computations translates to a 2:03.83. Liu’s record would remain until the 2024 Olympics when Summer McIntosh established a new record with her 2:03.03. The record narrative would then follow the world records since that time.

Men’s 200 IM: Michael Phelps’ recordfrom 2007 wouldn’t have been surpassed until Ryan Lochte eclipsed it at the 2010 Pan Pac Championships with his 1:54.43, contrasting with Lochte’s 2009 record which held until 2011 when he shattered it at the 2011 Worlds. The record timeline would then continue to reflect the finest textile suit times from that point onward.

Women’s 200 IM: Wu Yanyan’s 1991 record wouldn’t have been challenged until Stephanie Rice tied it at the 2008 Olympics with a 2:08.45, which converts to a 2:09.72. This record would be finally surpassed in 2009 by Ariana Kukors, whose two supersuited records from that year would persist, completing a converted 2:08.06 at the World Championships to close 2009. Ye Shiwen would eventually break Kukors’ record at the 2012 Olympics with her 2:07.57, in contrast to Kukors’s record lasting until 2015, when Katinka Hosszu claimed it at Worlds.

Men’s 400 IM: Michael Phelps’s record from 2007 wouldn’t have been broken until Ryan Lochte set a new mark at the 2012 Olympics with his 4:05.18, in contrast to Phelps’ 2008 record remaining until 2023, when Leon Marchand broke it at the 2023 World Championships. The record history would continue to reflect the best textile suit times ever since.

Women’s 400 IM: Katie Hoff’s record from 2007 wouldn’t have been surpassed until Stephanie Rice broke it at the 2008 Olympics with a time of 4:29.45, which with these calculations converts to 4:32.45. This record would endure until 2011 when Elizabeth Beisel broke it at the World Championships, rather than Rice’s mark from 2008, which stood until 2012 when Ye Shiwen set a new record. The record history would continue to reflect the best textile suit times thereafter.

Men’s 4×100 Medley Relay: The United States’s record from 2004 wouldn’t have been surpassed until they achieved it at the 2009 World Championships with a time of 3:27.28, which converts to a 3:30.42. This record would remain until 2012 when they broke their 2009 record again at the 2012 Olympics instead of having their 2009 mark last until 2021, when they shattered it at the 2021 Olympics. The record history would then proceed to mirror the best textile suit times from that point onward.

Women’s 4×100 Medley Relay: Australia’s record from 2007 would have been broken by themselves at the 2008 Olympics with their 3:52.69, which converts to a 3:55.33. This record would hold throughout 2009 but only until 2010 when the United States broke it at the 2010 Pan Pacs, rather than China’s 2009 mark lasting until 2012 when the US surpassed China’s record. The record history would then proceed to mirror the best textile suit times from that point onward.

Men’s 4×100 Free Relay: The United States’s record from 2006 wouldn’t have been broken until they set a new mark at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 with the “Lezak relay” (instead of also setting it in prelims), converting to a 3:10.80 from its current 3:08.24. This record would only stay until 2012 when the United States broke it again at the 2012 Olympics rather than the “Lezak relay” still enduring to this day. The record history would then follow the best textile suit times from that point onward.

Women’s 4×100 Free Relay: Germany’s record from 2006 wouldn’t have been broken until the Netherlands surpassed it at the 2009 World Championships with their 3:31.72, which converts to a 3:34.88. This record would only remain until 2011 when they broke their 2009 record at the 2011 World Championships, rather than their 2009 mark lasting until 2014 when Australia set a new record. The record history would then continue to mirror the best textile suit times from that moment onward.

Men’s 4×200 Free Relay: The United States’s record from 2007 wouldn’t have been surpassed until they achieved it at the World Championships in 2011 with a 7:02.67. The record history would then continue to reflect the best textile suit times since then.

Women’s 4×200 Free Relay: The record history through 2009 would remain unchanged here with China’s 2009 World Championships relay of 7:42.08, converting to a 7:48.48. This record would last until 2011 when the United States surpassed it at the 2011 World Championships, rather than China’s mark from 2009 holding until 2019 when Australia set a new record. The record history would then continue to reflect the best textile suit times following that point.

ABOUT NICK STARCEVICH

Nick is a junior at St. Olaf College pursuing a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a concentration in statistics and data science. He is currently part of the Men’s Swimming and Diving team at St. Olaf College. With a keen interest in data and its various applications, Nick frequently contemplates data-related queries, especially in a discipline like swimming that is filled with diverse information.