FINA, now known as World Aquatics, in 2009 decided to ban the use of swimsuits with polyurethane during competitions. The rules, requiring textile-only fabric suits, went into effect in 2010.

NASA assisted Speedo in the making of the LZR swimsuit that was worn by multiple athletes in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Interestingly, these costumes used polyurethane and other non-textile ...