Psychology not German swimming's strong suit

By Kevin Fylan

BERLIN (Reuters) - One of Orjan Madsen's first acts on taking control of German swimming was to hire a team of psychologists. Given the way morale is being sapped by the new Speedo suit that rivals are wearing, it is just as well he did.

Norwegian coach Madsen was appointed technical director of the German Swimming Federation (DSV) in 2006 with a mission to toughen up the athletes for competition in time for Beijing.

Britta Steffen and Helge Meeuw were among those in top form at the national trials in Berlin but hopes of a first German Olympic swimming gold since Dagmar Hase won the 400 meters freestyle in 1992 have faded to almost nothing, as rivals clad in the new Speedo LZR Racer suit smash records around them.

The DSV has a contract with Adidas and officials recently rejected a proposal to let their swimmers wear the hi-tech suit of one of the company's main rivals.

Madsen, who had a long history of coaching in Germany before accepting the DSV offer, is not yet convinced the Speedo suit makes a technical difference but there is no questioning the psychological impact.

"There have been 39 world records, long and short course, this year and 90 percent of them were in Speedo," Madsen told Reuters during a poolside interview in Berlin, shortly before Australian swimmers set two more women's records.

"That, or course, does something to the athletes. It's almost impossible to put yourself in a state of mind where you say it doesn't matter. Of course it matters.

"There are athletes, as we've seen here, who swim in other suits and do it well. They swim European records and they beat swimmers who swim in Speedo, so it is possible. But for the next three-and-a-half months I'm afraid that topic, that discussion of the suits, will remain."