Michael Phelps was back on top of the swimming podium(表演台) on Wednesday, after he crushed(弄碎) his world record in the 200-metre fly wearing swim gear(衣服) that was once reviled(辱骂) as "doping on a hanger."
That was last year, and in the fast-moving world of swimsuit technology, where a state-of-the-art(艺术级的) rubber suit can turn men into fish, Speedo's revolutionary LZR Racer appears to have already been bested(被超越) by another, seemingly swifter suit that is causing an outrage.
Some say science has gone too far, including Mr. Phelps' coach who threatened to pull him from future international competitions until the rules were changed. That came after the American swimming giant lost to a lesser known swimmer this week in the 200 metre freestyle. German Paul Bierdermann credited a new, soon to be banned, swimsuit, the Arena X-Glide, for propelling(推进) him to gold at the world championships in Rome.
When science and sport are so intricately(复杂地) woven(交织) together, the swimsuit controversy(争议) has raised tricky questions about how much performance-boosting technology is too much.