Olympic champion Laure Manaudou of France also uses Arena, while the Japanese wear Mizuno.

After the meeting with manufacturers, FINA issued a statement said it had "confirmed that all the swimsuits approved so far are complying with the specifications."

Critics of the Speedo suit cite illegal levels of buoyancy and call it "technological doping" since it combines a polyurethane layer with a layer of normal fabric. But FINA's rules say "different fabrics can be used in one swimsuit."

"We always play by the rules," Stephen Rubin, the chairman of Speedo holding company Pentland, told The Associated Press. "As far as we're concerned, there is nothing wrong with our swimsuit, and it was agreed on at the meeting that it conforms with FINA's rules."

The argument of Arena Group CEO Cristiano Portas, the leading opponent of the LZR, centered on the word "fabric," which he took as prohibiting the polyurethane, or plastic-type, material used in the LZR.

"I have to acknowledge that the other manufacturers had a broader understanding," Portas said. "The most important thing was to clarify the rules. Now that we know fabric is the same thing as material, we will develop a new suit. We already have some samples, so it is not a matter of a long time. We were holding back to respect the rules."

Australian standout Grant Hackett was in Manchester as a spectator Saturday and held a press conference for his sponsor -Speedo.

"I think what this suit is doing is taking away from the performances of athletes that have worked hard. They're the ones that deserve credit," Hackett said.

"Being an Olympic year, we have to expect better results and more depth. Every time an Olympics come around this happens. Like every sport, we see evolution. They're not using tennis rackets from 50 years ago. Lance Armstrong's bike isn't 50 years old. Even if I put on a pair of Michael Jordans, I still can't dunk well. It's the same with these suits. They don't make you swim faster.

A few moments later, Hackett contradicted himself.

"Of course, the suit contributes to performance," he said. "That's why they're there. Throughout history, all suits have contributed to performance."