More swimsuit drama heading into London Olympics

With the London Olympics less than two months away, there's more chaos in the swimsuit department.

When aquatic leaders decided to ban rubberized bodysuits three years ago, it was thought that it would put an end to the technological arms race roiling the waters. And, indeed, there's not nearly as much focus on what everyone is wearing or how many world records will be broken at these games.

"The suit does matter, it does help," said Bob Bowman, the coach of 14-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps. "But it just gives them a little sharpness. It doesn't completely change them as a swimmer."

Still, mirroring the anarchy that seemingly ruled at the 2008 Beijing Games and the 2009 world championships, swimmers are now shedding suits provided by their sponsors to wear apparel perceived to be faster. Teams are jockeying to make sure their athletes have the best suits available -- no matter who is their official supplier.

This time, the roles are reversed for two of the main manufacturers.

Whereas Speedo's LZR Racer was all the rage at the last Olympics, Arena's Powerskin Carbon-Pro appears to have the edge this time. "Four years ago, the performance difference was much larger," said Giuseppe Musciacchio, Arena's general manager for brand development. "We're not talking about seconds now, but tenths can also make a difference in an Olympic race.