Ryosuke Irie of Japan at the East Asian Games
/ AP Photo/Vincent Yu
HONG KONG (AP) — With new rules taking effect Jan. 1 that ban full-body high-performance suits, many swimmers are deploying them for one last time at the East Asian Games.
Except 800-meter freestyle world champion Zhang Lin.
Competing in the 200-meter freestyle, the 22-year-old Chinese swimmer wore a suit that only extended from his waist to his knees. He was the only competitor in his race to wear the suit.
Zhang finished third, losing to two Japanese swimmers who wore high-tech suits, but said after the race he wanted to start adjusting to his new suit.
Zhang finished in 1 minute, 49.59 seconds, more than three seconds behind the winner, Japan's Yoshihiro Okumura, who posted a time of 1 minute, 46.37 seconds.
