‘Fast suit slowed me down’ – Tom

By Aaron Scoones

Ian Powell finished a highly creditable sixth in the main final of the 100m butterfly. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 0385974)

TOM HOLLINGSWORTH has blamed the new Speedo swimsuit for his under-par time in yesterday’s British Championships 100m butterfly.

The Speedo LZR Racer has revolutionised the sport. Since 16 February, swimmers wearing the suit have broken a staggering 11 world records.

Developed in partnership with Nasa, it has no stitching, only bonded joints that borrow technology from the space shuttle. But Guernsey star Hollingsworth did not find it so wonderful as he wore it in the B final of the 100m butterfly at Pond’s Forge, Sheffield.

After clocking 55.12sec. in the heats, the University of East Anglia swimmer was more than a second down in the final with 56.30.

‘I was trying the new LZR Racer suit and as soon as I dived in it filled up with water and that didn’t help me,’ he said.

‘I was wearing the smaller size as well so I don’t know what went wrong. The 200m is my better event so I decided to try it in this one.

‘I won’t be using it again.’

Hollingsworth is now focusing on tonight’s 200m butterfly heats that sees fellow Sarnian Ian Powell in action as well.

Powell had fared better in the 100m butterfly as his time of 54.24 in the heats saw him qualify for the main final where he came sixth in a time of 53.77.

‘He looked quite good and quite strong – it was good to see,’ said Hollingsworth.