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Though the LZR
suit was outlawed,
other companies,
such as Jaked,
make full-body suits
that are legal to
use in competition.
gear
Athletes move through water.
Swimmers
have the unique task of moving not through
air, but through a liquid. Technology is on
the case here, too. In 2008, a new type of
full-body swimming outfit was created using
materials and computer design. The suits re-
duced
drag
, or the friction of water over the
body, more than 10 percent, which can be a
lot at an elite level of competition. Together
with world-class athletes, the LZR Racer suits
literally changed the rule book—they were
too good. “The thing that’s really hurt more