Fina, the world governing body for swimming, revealed yesterday that it is to hold a forum to discuss the use of high-tech bodysuits. The news came on the day when a German swimmer, Paul Biedermann, raced inside one of the last two world records held by Ian Thorpe, of Australia, and the 89th world record of the year brought to a close the 2008 World Cup season.

The impact of compression and new fabric technology on swimming has dominated debate in the sport since Speedo launched its LZR Racer suit in February. Since then, companies such as adidas, Arena, blueseventy and TYR have joined the race to find the fastest suit, contributing to new global standards in 54 long-course and 35 short-course events.

Shortly before Biedermann lowered Thorpe's mark of 1min 41.10sec with a time of 1:40.83sec in the 200metres freestyle in Berlin yesterday, Cornel Marculescu, the executive director of Fina, told The Times: “It's been a busy year. It's time to breathe, to review all issues with the suits in the sport.”

Marculescu said that the forum, to be held in February, would “certainly” lead to rule changes that take account of “modern developments in the sport” and ensure that “a sensible framework can be established, so that we can set the limits of what is and is not acceptable”. The intention is to impose a new suit rule in time for the Fina Congress on the eve of the World Championships in Rome in July.

It is no longer only the Speedo suit that is catching the wave. Biedermann wore an Arena Revolution Plus suit in beating Thorpe's record. Turning half a second shy of Thorpe's pace with 50 metres to go, Biedermann came home in 24.90sec, almost a second faster than the final length of the Australian, who was renowned for his finishing speed. Soon after, Randall Bal, of the United States, set a world record of 22.87sec in the 50metres backstroke and Marieke Guehrer, of Australia, won the 50metres butterfly in a world-record time of 24.99sec.

Fina lawyers will study submissions from coaches, scientists, suit-makers and others in an effort to rewrite rules that were made at a time when the suit was more about modesty than performance. The percentage increase in the improvement of times among top swimmers has been greater this year than ever before.

Fina has applied for a number of extensions to the Olympic programme for London 2012, including the introduction in swimming of 50m sprints in backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly, and 12 teams instead of eight in the women's water polo competition.

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