14 DAY TRIAL // Since the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Michael Phelps has been America’s favorite sportsman and, at the same time, a celebrity on his own. It’s only rarely that glossy magazines and the celebrity blogosphere take notice of someone outside showbiz, but it seems that Michael Phelps will not be the only swimmer so immensely popular for long. US swimmer Ricky Berens’ suit was torn during the World Championships, exposing his backside, Yahoo! Extra Sport informs.
While the view Berens offered was clearly nothing to be upset about, as celebrity magazines and e-zines put it, the swimmer continues to be extremely embarrassed about the incident. The embarrassment is even bigger as the photo of him jumping in the pool with his bum out in the open is now circulating freely on the Internet, causing fans and non-fans to go wild, in what TMZ describes as a new era in sports, in which “people care about competitive water sports again.”
“US swimmer Ricky Berens tore the back of his racing swimsuit while embarking on his leg of the 4x100m freestyle relay heat during the World Swimming Championships in Rome. A slightly sheepish Berens completed the race and helped his team qualify for a place in the final before quickly covering himself with a towel.” Yahoo! explains. The tear appeared, it seems, as Berens was stretching for the race. “I kind of freaked out for just a second. I felt like [the tear] was almost down to my knees. I felt like I was putting on a pretty good show.” the swimmer said after the race.
While the tear did not really go down to his knees, there is little doubt as to the quality of the show he put on, several media outlets say. At the same time, some also point that the type of swimming suit that has been common at such competitions until now will be effectively banned starting with 2010, following a FINA decision, FitSugar informs.
“FINA, the international governing board of competitive swimming, just created a new rule for both the shape and material of the swimsuits worn in competition. The rule limits the amount of skin that can be covered by a suit, and the fabric must be water permeable – no more polyurethane. Speedo introduced the LZR 17 months ago, and its designs were quickly imitated by other swimsuit manufacturers. Watching the 2008 Olympics, these high-tech suits help many swimmers break world records.” FitSugar says. Because of this, these suits have often been labeled as “dope on a hanger,” wherefrom the current ban.