It may have been Phelps who said that the suit made him feel faster. Maybe the perception helps the swimmers?

Also, in the trials, the number of hopefuls allowed to compete in an event has shrunk from 3 to 2. Would the more frenzied competition create the atmosphere for these records to be broken regardless of the suit?

Suit or not, the debate steers the focus away from athleticism and what the Olympics should be about - athletes. In the spirit of fairness, why not put all swimmers in the same suit? An Olympic uniform or something? But on that note, the Olympics would take away profits from those companies who create these technologies.

Since when has the NCAA had an objection to creating a class system? I coached at the Division One level nearly 20 years and I sure didn't have to look very far to see that this is evident in numerous Division One Sports that are offered at this level. Just because swimming is an Olympic sport doesn't mean that it shouldn't relish in new advances and receive its accolades every once in a while from the immediate public. Could FieldTurf be providing the haves an unfair advantage over the have nots? Every sport and coach has seen growth and improved means through technology. I personally believe the pools that the swimmers are competing in are providing a fair amount of the improvements as well and they are as high tech as ever at this time.

In regards to the question on a class system this perception and reality will exist until the playing field is leveled in the area of dollars spent by each institution or program. Thus, there will always be looming questions of fairness and inequity in NCAA or other competitive venues.

I would rather have the sport utilize technological improvements as opposed to biological (Marion Jones...Justin Gatlin...1990's MLB...the list goes on).

I hope they don't permit these suits in college competition. If they do, everybody will be forced to purchase them at great expense (I understand they have to be replaced frequently) without any net gain over the competition, which will be buying the same suits just to keep up. The only winner would be the manufacturer.

I don't think technological advances are the same as doping. Furthermore, I think its ridiculous and vaguely insulting to imply that world-class swimmers who are not using steroids or other illicit and damaging hormones/drugs are in the same category as cheaters because of a swimsuit. Is the line between technology and talent really all that blurred? I could wear a Speedo LZR and I'd still sink. Furthermore, while the suit is expensive, it does not seem to be restricted to certain athletes or certain countries, and unfortunately, a level playing field, whether in the Olympics or intercollegiate athletics, does not seem to equate equal funding for all teams.

There is also a lot of HARD work that goes into breaking these world records. It's not ALL about the suit. Sure the suit is a fast suit. As a matter of fact, my sister wore one this week at Trials and said she felt higher in the water, but that her training had more to do with swimming fast than a swim suit. Even with the technilogical advances with this new LZR suit, it doesn't mean hard training goes away. Michael Phelps, Katie Hoff, Ryan Lochte, and all the others still have to put in the hours in the pool and the weight room. That will never go away!

What's next - springs on the bottom of the sprinters' shoes ? It's a slippery slope.

the suits WILL further stratify collegiate swimming, and will make the teams with less ability to afford them look even less competitive. Less competitive = easier to eliminate. They're bad for the sport. No high tech suits at NCAAs.

The suits don't provide floatation, they don't have propellors, so how are they cheating?

In the past decade, have shoe companies not invented new technologies to make lighter, faster shoes for track athletes? Have golf companies not designed clubs to hit the ball farther and straighter? What's the difference?

I guess we need to go back to the Johnny Weissmuller days of the 1920's when everyone's swimsuits were made of wool and went from the shoulders to mid-thigh.

It will be sad when after Phelps wins ALL the gold medals he wants, he tests positive for some doping drug that was missed...

Your kidding right? Unless the suit provides buoyancy, or has a hidden motor that propels them faster, you are just another bunch of conspiracy theorists that want to take away the hard work that this young man has put into this accomplishment. Instead of worrying about whether or not the suit is doping (which it is not), why don't you discuss the fact that the chinese "women" gymnasts are all still cutting baby teeth.