Downstream

have ‘fastskin’ racing suits,
high-tech goggles, fins,
neoprene gloves and boots.
Wetsuits keep us warmer,
able to swim throughout the
year and more buoyant in
case something goes wrong.
They have made us faster and
capable, perhaps, of doing
longer distances, and their
popularity is mainly due to
the rise in the triathlon, now
recognised as an Olympic
sport, while open-water