Japanese Olympic Trials Begin Next Week, New Swimwear Announcement

By Hideki Mochizuki, Swimming World Japanese Correspondent

TOKYO, Japan, April 11. AS the Japanese Olympic Trials come close to next week, the rivalry among the Japanese swim suit makers will be heating up. Clearly reacting from the recent swimwear news from around the world, two Japanese manufacturers have announced their new suits for Beijing.

Asics announced its new suit on April 3 using Reiko Nakamura as model for the new suit in its press conference. Nakamura has worn Asics swim suits for a long time, and now has a contract with Asics and will wear Asics swim suits in Beijing, if she gets selected next week. Nakamura wore the Asics suit during her short course world record swim in the 200 back in February, which lasted until Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry surpassed it this week.

Throughout a press conference, Asics boasted its technology to reduce water resistance and also the ability to keep a stable body core posture in the race using "confidential" materials through only portions of the body. "It is smoothest suit ever," Nakamura said in a press conference. "I hope I get the gold medal in Beijing with the suit." Yuko Nakanishi, a women's 200m butterfly specialist, will also wear Asics suit in Trials and will do so in Beijing if selected.

The Japanese Swimming Federation has a contract with only three brands now for use during the Beijing Games. These three manufacturers are Asics, Arena and Mizuno. Selected swimmers can select their swim suits from only those three brands. Nobody will have the option to wear the Speedo LZR Racer because of this contract that lasts until 2012.

Mizuno was a long-time licensee for Speedo swimwear in the Japanese market, but that relationship ended in last June when Mizuno decided to pursue to develop its swim suits with its own brand. Now, another Japanese company named Goldwin took over the licensee role in the Japanese market for Speedo. But, Goldwin is not a part of the Olympic deal with the Japanese federation.

Mizuno, which began selling its own suit last year, has focused on the Japanese experience with material development, design and style creation inherent to Japanese swimmers, rather than just importing Speedo suits from overseas.

Mizuno announced its new suits for Beijing on April 9 using Japan's ace Kosuke Kitajima. Kitajima has been contracted with Mizuno, but had been wearing Speedo in the past as a part of the Mizuno licensee agreement. He has stuck with Mizuno, and will wear the Mizuno brand if selected for the Beijing team.

"The suit gives the feeling of pushing the body," Kitajima said in a news conference. "I hope I can prove that the Mizuno suit is at the world level."

The Japanese Olympic Trials begins on April 15 in Tokyo's Tatsumi International Aquatic Center with an evening final format. Swimmers will have the chance to wear the new suits in competition for the first time at the event.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use