Polyurethane swim suits are set to take the swimming world by storm. The swim suits, which were officially approved on 22 June by the International Swimming Federation (FINA), are set to play a central role at the upcoming World Championships in Rome (17 July – 2 August)

FINA published a list of authorised swimsuits, including adidas’ Hydrofoil and Arena’s X-Glide, two all-polyurethane suits used by world class swimmers such as Alain Bernard and Frédéric Bousquet. Whereas Bousquet’s recent record over 50 metres using one of the suits was confirmed, Bernard’s 100 meter success was rejected because it happened before approval had been given to the suits.

Another recent success was that of German swimmer Britta Steffens who recently broke the women's 100m freestyle world record in Berlin, with a time of 52.85 seconds. Britta was helped to her world-beating time thanks to her polyurethane swim suit – the adidas Hydrofoil.

Polyurethane high-technology swimsuits are renowned for valuable compression and buoyancy thanks to their ability to trap air. They are extremely light, resistant, and flexible. Furthermore, they can improve performance thanks to minimum water drag and they do not lose their shape over time. These remarkable and adaptable qualities give the swimmer maximum fluid-dynamics in the water and additionally lead to a level of muscle compression which reduces resistance in the water.

This key application of polyurethane is yet another example of the versatility of this unique product.