tech suits and Ian Thorpe

Hello, friends, I've been wondering where to post this message, so I might as well start here. There is a lot of talk about records broken in the tech suit era and some people want asterisks on those records. But no one talks about the suit which Thorpe wore in the 2000 Olympics. It sure looks like a wetsuit to me: media.olympics.com.au/.../20100707_101809625_ian_thorpe_wins_400m_20001.jpg Why aren't his victories and records tainted by the use of this suit? Does the rule change about suits help explain why he was unsuccessful in his comeback attempt? Any thoughts?