SPEEDO SUNDAY

FINA agrees new rules for swimsuits

Manufacturer Speedo is confident its controversial LZR Racer will be approved for this year's Rome world titles despite swimming's governing body adopting new rules designed to limit high-tech suits.

The LZR Racer was one of the chief contributors to the avalanche of world records last year that led to calls for suit technology to be reined in.

FINA has taken steps to secure an even playing field by establishing its own independent regime with testing for the likes of suit thickness, buoyancy levels, and "air trapping effects".

Suits have to be submitted to FINA for testing by the end of the month to earn approval for July's world titles in Italy.

A Speedo spokesman said the swimwear maker was confident the LZR Racer would be passed after FINA announced its new measures following a meeting in Dubai this weekend.

"At this stage we are of the opinion the LZR Racer will be fine," an Australian-based Speedo spokesman told AAP.

"But we are still ... trying to get some clarification from FINA as to what the new sort of testing approach will actually involve because that is something that has not been made clear at this stage."