SYDNEY (AP) — World records set by swimmers wearing now-banned polyurethane swimsuits should not be allowed to stand, Australian Olympic silver medalist Eamon Sullivan said Tuesday.
Sullivan, who finished second in the 100m freestyle at the Beijing Olympics, said it would be "incredibly stupid" for world records set during 2009 by swimmers using the outlawed suit to be retained. Records set by some of swimming's greatest names had been lowered and Sullivan said FINA should consider restoring records set before the banned suits came into use.
"I definitely think now that the polyurethane suits have gone, to keep the records would be incredibly stupid," Sullivan said. "That's the reason for going back to these old suits, the massive drop in times in one year."
Sullivan said swimmers may need a period of adjustment after becoming used to the faster suits.
"I think by London 2012 we should be back to the normal way of swimming and knowing where you stand ,and how you can swim and how fast you can swim on any given day," Sullivan said.
Beijing Olympic 100m butterfly gold medalist Libby Trickett warned against comparing times set in the new and old suits.
"The public and the media need to put things in perspective and not judge and compare this suit to other suits, it's really important not to do that," she said. "Otherwise I think people may become disappointed."
