Ban the tech suits?

Regarding the legality of double bagging, here's a post from a while ago: I am trying to figure if 2 bodysuits are legal.Any of you rules gurus have an opinion? That's what I was thinking and posted earlier. Maybe Anna Lea will help us out as usual. I'd like to see the actual wording of the rule. There may be a loophole, but depending upon the wording, FINA could still interpret it to preclude wearing two suits or suits with 2-3 neoprene like layers. Also, as I recall there is a prohibition on ""buoyancy." I realize they've decided that the LZR and B70 suits don't violate this rule, but stacking them might. Isn't that why actual wetsuits aren't legal, they're patently, beyond any doubt, buoyant? There are a couple of rules potentially in play here. Fina's General Rules speak to the swimsuit issue: GR 5 SWIMWEAR GR 5.1 The swimwear (swimsuit, cap and goggles) of all competitors shall be in good moral taste and suitable for the individual sports disciplines and not to carry any symbol which may be considered offensive. GR 5.2 All swimsuits shall be non transparent. GR 5.3 In swimming competitions the competitor must wear swimsuit in one or two pieces which shall not extend beyond the ankles, the wrists and the neck. No additional items, like arm bands or leg bands shall be regarded as parts of a swimsuit. GR 5.4 The referee of a competition has the authority to exclude any competitor whose swimwear or body symbols do not comply with this Rule. GR 5.5 Before any swimwear of new design, construction or material is used in competition, the manufacturer of such swimwear must submit the swimwear to FINA and obtain approval of FINA. FINA Requirements for swimwear approval GR 5.6 The manufacturers must ensure that the approved new swimwear will be available for all competitors. And the Swimming Rules cover "devices": SW 10.7 No swimmer shall be permitted to use or wear any device that may aid his speed, buoyancy or endurance during a competition (such as webbed gloves, flippers, fins, etc.). Goggles may be worn. A cute response would be to argue that a swimmer wearing 2 suits is simply wearing a two piece suit within the meaning of GR 5.3. Perhaps the swimmer could argue that after seeing the now infamous shots of Phelps and Beard in the new LZRs, she or he was concerned about violating the transparency ban in 5.2, and hence felt a need to double up in an abundance of caution. Seriously, GR 5 does not appear to prohibit a swimmer from wearing 2 suits (although note the curious matter of the missing "a" in the sentence "the swimmer must wear swimsuit". Perhaps something was lost in a translation?) The only ground for protest would be to argue that the second suit constitutes a "device which may aid his speed, buoyancy, or endurance..." Given that Fina ruled that wearing one tech suit does none of those things, it would seem anomolous for Fina to find that wearing two somehow does.

Regarding the legality of double bagging, here's a post from a while ago: I am trying to figure if 2 bodysuits are legal.Any of you rules gurus have an opinion? That's what I was thinking and posted earlier. Maybe Anna Lea will help us out as usual. I'd like to see the actual wording of the rule. There may be a loophole, but depending upon the wording, FINA could still interpret it to preclude wearing two suits or suits with 2-3 neoprene like layers. Also, as I recall there is a prohibition on ""buoyancy." I realize they've decided that the LZR and B70 suits don't violate this rule, but stacking them might. Isn't that why actual wetsuits aren't legal, they're patently, beyond any doubt, buoyant? There are a couple of rules potentially in play here. Fina's General Rules speak to the swimsuit issue: GR 5 SWIMWEAR GR 5.1 The swimwear (swimsuit, cap and goggles) of all competitors shall be in good moral taste and suitable for the individual sports disciplines and not to carry any symbol which may be considered offensive. GR 5.2 All swimsuits shall be non transparent. GR 5.3 In swimming competitions the competitor must wear swimsuit in one or two pieces which shall not extend beyond the ankles, the wrists and the neck. No additional items, like arm bands or leg bands shall be regarded as parts of a swimsuit. GR 5.4 The referee of a competition has the authority to exclude any competitor whose swimwear or body symbols do not comply with this Rule. GR 5.5 Before any swimwear of new design, construction or material is used in competition, the manufacturer of such swimwear must submit the swimwear to FINA and obtain approval of FINA. FINA Requirements for swimwear approval GR 5.6 The manufacturers must ensure that the approved new swimwear will be available for all competitors. And the Swimming Rules cover "devices": SW 10.7 No swimmer shall be permitted to use or wear any device that may aid his speed, buoyancy or endurance during a competition (such as webbed gloves, flippers, fins, etc.). Goggles may be worn. A cute response would be to argue that a swimmer wearing 2 suits is simply wearing a two piece suit within the meaning of GR 5.3. Perhaps the swimmer could argue that after seeing the now infamous shots of Phelps and Beard in the new LZRs, she or he was concerned about violating the transparency ban in 5.2, and hence felt a need to double up in an abundance of caution. Seriously, GR 5 does not appear to prohibit a swimmer from wearing 2 suits (although note the curious matter of the missing "a" in the sentence "the swimmer must wear swimsuit". Perhaps something was lost in a translation?) The only ground for protest would be to argue that the second suit constitutes a "device which may aid his speed, buoyancy, or endurance..." Given that Fina ruled that wearing one tech suit does none of those things, it would seem anomolous for Fina to find that wearing two somehow does.