Starting from the June 1st, 2010 for FINA open water swimming competitions, the following rules apply:

BL 8 SWIMWEAR

BL 8.1 All FINA approved swimwear to be used at the Olympic Games and FINA World Championships must be approved by FINA at least 12 months prior to the start of the respective competition. In addition, it must be available for all competitors by 1st January of the year of the Olympic Games or FINA World Championships.

BL 8.2 In swimming competitions the competitor must wear only one swimsuit in one or two pieces. No additional items, like arm bands or leg bands shall be regarded as parts of a swimsuit.

BL 8.3 From January 1st, 2010 swimwear [for pool swimming competitions] for men shall not extend above the navel nor below the knee, and for women, shall not cover the neck, extend past the shoulder, nor shall extend below knee. All swimsuits shall be made from textile materials.

BL 8.4 From June 1st, 2010 open water swimwear for both men and women shall not cover the neck, extend past the shoulder, nor shall extend below the ankle. All open water swimsuits shall comply with the FINA Criteria for Materials and Approval Procedures.

BL 8.5 From January 15th, 2010 in masters pool swimming competitions rules BL 8.1, BL 8.2 and BL 8.3 apply. From June 1st, 2010 rule BL 8.4 applies also for the masters open water competitions.

Until the July 1st 2010, for open water swimming competitions, swimsuits from the FINA 2009 List of Approved Swimsuits can be used. The 2009 List is here.

Copyright © 2010 by Steven Munatones