Comments please...

[PSDave]

its called commerce and marketing. The Chinese paid huge bucks -- more than Speedo, TYR or Arena were willing to pay--to have their suits on the Americans. Since US sports are largely funded by private donations, unlike many countries, the teams went for the bucks and not patriotism.

[Byron]

Sad but true . Another example : GB swimmers take a £4m cut in funding now - punishment for not coming up with impressive medals in 2012.

What does this do to the morale of the sportsmen? - can they feel to be anything more than a product on a supermarket shelf ?

[shaulis]

US athletes in all sports know starting from a young age that winning and money go hand in hand. I think the morale of athletes in the US is moot because they know winning equals money. Whether this line of rationale is right or wrong is another question.

[Byron]

Yes, just another branch of showbiz now I guess - I'd like to stick with Pierre De Coubertin but he's from a different century of course.

[Swimmboy]

I think athletes from almost any country know winning equals money - even the old Socialist countries awarded winners with nice homes, cars, etc., while almost any winner today can count on lucrative endorsement deals and advertising gigs. But I still believe most athletes in 'amateur' sports such as swimming compete for the sheer joy of swimming, and of being part of their summer league, high school, or college team. Last summer, US swimmer Missy Franklin was offered huge endorsement sums, but said she wanted to at least swim on a college team for a few years before going 'professional', so she rejected the offers and signed to swim for Cal-Berkeley. Good for her!

[Byron]

Yes indeed - a pity the poor Chinese guy didn't have the same option (the one on the rigourous state diving program who ended up in penury on the streets when it was decided he wouldn't make the grade).

[Byron]

Young USA diver I have seen before but cannot name. This time his suit has the blue front (I have noticed that those team suits would swap around on occasions between blue and red):
http://31.media.tumblr.com/d79a5f691...axleo1_500.jpg