The swimsuit issue is seemingly not inseparable from the sport.
The Japan Swimming Federation (JASF) has announced it will give Japanese national representatives the freedom to wear any swimsuits in this year's international events, including the FINA World Championships, which will be held July 17 to Aug. 2 in Rome.
The JASF has contracts with three Japanese major sporting companies — Mizuno, Descente and Asics — as official suppliers. But it decided to grant an exceptional measure for the swimmers to wear any suit for the Beijing Olympics after the controversial Speedo's LZR Racer came out last year.