In just a few weeks, swimmers will show up at the Beijing Olympics adorned head to toe in the Speedo LZR swimsuits.

The latest advance in swimming technology lasts only about six races and requires assistance to put on, yet few athletes will go without it. By contrast, Mark Spitz won a record seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics without shaving his trademark Ron Burgundy-style mustache. He originally planned to shave it, but saw an opportunity to pull one over on the Russians and had to follow through with the joke.

"The Russian coach came to me before I swam and asked me if I was going to shave it off," Spitz said. "I told him that I was going to keep it and that it was going to deflect the water away from my face and help me swim faster. The next year, every male Russian swimmer showed up with a mustache."

Spitz's record of seven gold medals remains unmatched. American Michael Phelps came close in 2004, winning six golds and two bronzes, and Spitz said he expects the young swimmer to finish the job next month.

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