Enhanced Games swimmers are wearing illegal ‘super suit’ banned by World Aquatics in 2010

World Aquatics, then known as FINA, banned polyurethane swimsuits after the 2009 wave of record-breaking performances, with textile-only rules coming into force in 2010.

The decision followed concerns that the high-tech suits provided an unfair advantage by reducing drag, increasing compression and boosting buoyancy.

The Speedo LZR Racer became the symbol of that era, with 23 of the 25 world records at the 2008 Beijing Olympics set by swimmers wearing it.

The Olympic movement later described that period as a moment when technology had gone too far, leading to strict limits on suit materials and coverage.

Under current rules, men’s suits cannot extend above the navel or below the knee, while women’s suits cannot cover the neck, shoulders or go past the knee.

The Enhanced Games, which is set to take place next Sunday, 24 May, is taking the opposite approach, allowing swimmers to use suit technology that has been banned from Olympic competition since 2010.

Organisers say athletes have struggled to source original versions, so custom-made alternatives have been created for the event.

The result is another deliberate contrast. Olympic swimming limits both substances and technology, while the Enhanced Games is building its spectacle around removing those boundaries.