Speedo has delivered a Henry-Ford message to the nations that will wear its new suit: you can have any colour as long as its black - unless you're American or Australian, it seems.

When swimmers ltakes to their blocks Water Cube's blocks at the Beijing Olympics, only the aquatic superpowers will be distinguishable by their national colours. The rest, 33 nations - including Britain, home of Speedo, according to reports - will just have to make do with the rather military look of the LZR Racer, launched yesterday in London in all its grey and blackness.

You can rely on Jacquelin Magnay of the Sydney Morning Herald to spot a good line when there's one to be fished out. She reports: 'given Australia's hefty pull in the global swimming market, the company (Speedo) has agreed to colour the Australian suits in green and gold. Only the United States, with its well-known red, white and blue colours, will be similarly accommodated.'

The Aussie Olympic committee are looking at the design but approval is not far away for a suit described by Leisel Jones as the 'world's fastest corset'.

Not all the Dolphins will wear Speedo and all the suit makers have new suits with tall claims attached and new properties said to aid swimming speed: Jodie Henry, Olympic 100m free champion, is taking the Thorpedo route, in the all-black adidas suit, while Jim Piper, like Cullen Jones in the US, will don Nike, a growing player in the market. Many of Europe's swimmers will wear Arena, and Tyr has a fine selection of athletes too.