Japan’s Ryosuke Irie wants focus shifted back to the pool, not the rules

Japan’s Irie frustrated over swimsuit debates

TOKYO — Japan’s Ryosuke Irie said Monday he’d rather see swimmers focusing on what goes on in the pool instead of debating the rules about swimsuits.

Irie set a world record in the men’s 200-meter backstroke last month but swimming’s governing body FINA hasn’t ratified the mark because of questions over the swimsuit he wore.

“It’s disappointing that everyone keeps talking about swimsuits,” Irie said. “When you break a world record now that’s all anyone wants to talk about.”

Irie set a time of 1 minute, 52.86 seconds, beating the previous record held by American Ryan Lochte by 1.08 seconds. Lochte set the previous mark of 1:53.94 to win the gold medal in the event at last year’s Beijing Olympics.

The 19-year-old Irie wore an Arena brand swimsuit, which is undergoing independent testing by world governing body FINA.

Irie said he plans to wear the same swimsuit for this month’s Japan Open and that he is confident of breaking the record again in the same suit.

FINA has struggled to keep pace as racers competing in the latest buoyancy-aiding and water-resistant designs have set 126 new records in the past 16 months.

The uncertainty over high-tech swimsuits is likely to extend into the world championships in July.

FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu said Thursday that this year is a “transition period” before tougher suit regulations are created by the ruling body for 2010.