Descente's Plans For Ultrafast Swimsuit Scuttled By FINA

TOKYO (Nikkei)--Descente Ltd. (8114) has been forced to rethink its swimsuit strategy now that swimming's governing body has rejected the suit Ryosuke Irie wore when he broke the 200-meter backstroke world record on May 10.

The rubberized swimsuit Irie sported at a Japan-Australia meet was slated to be commercialized early next month if approved by the International Swimming Federation, or FINA.

The company's plans, "including whether to sell the swimsuit, will be revised," Hideaki Tayama, a Descente executive, told reporters Wednesday.

Descente rang up some 5 billion yen in swimsuit sales in fiscal 2008. Despite demand rising around 5% a year through fiscal 2007, sales sank 4% last fiscal year, weighed down by the popularity of Speedo International Ltd.'s high-profile LZR Racer.

The firm plans to make adjustments and resubmit the swimwear for FINA approval. But in the lead-up to summer, Descente is unlikely to be able to avoid delays in bringing its offering to market.

(The Nikkei May 21 morning edition)