Swimmers Can’t Wear Bodysuits at Trials

American swimmers will not be allowed to wear bodysuits in the Olympic Trials in August.

USA Swimming, concerned some competitors might not have access to the high-tech suits that are revolutionizing the sport, voted Thursday to ban them in the Aug. 9-16 trials in Indianapolis.

Bodysuits have been approved by the sport’s international governing body, so American swimmers will be allowed to wear them in Sydney.

“The issue of fairness is at the forefront,” said Charlie Snyder, a spokesman for USA Swimming.

The bodysuits, some of which cover the arms and extend from neck to ankle, have been cited as a major reason for the abundance of world records this year.

Australians Ian Thorpe and Susie O’Neill wore bodysuits as they set world records in the Australian Olympic trials last month. Inge de Bruijn of the Netherlands wore one while setting three world marks in the past two weeks. American Tom Malchow was covered when he broke the record for the 200-meter butterfly in Charlotte, N.C., last weekend.

*

Two-time U.S. Olympic wrestler Matt Ghaffari took his first step Thursday toward a rematch with 2000 national super-heavyweight champion Rulon Gardner for a berth in the Sydney Games.

Ghaffari, 38, who has represented the United States six times in the World Championships, won a 7-0 decision over Paul Devlin of the U.S. Army in his opening match of the Greco-Roman challenge tournament portion of the U.S. Olympic Wrestling trials at Dallas.

He must win two more bouts for a shot at Gardner in Saturday’s finals. Gardner beat Ghaffari, 1-0, in overtime in April.

*

Jason Parker was perfect in three rounds of air rifle as the USA Shooting National Championships and Final Olympic Team Selection Match got under way at Atlanta.

Parker, of Cusseta, Ga., scored 100 in three of the five rounds and had a 99 in the final one to lead the air rifle standings. The national championship results will be added to the point totals from the spring Olympic selection match to determine who goes to the Sydney Olympic Games.