Fashion: Athletes seek the tight stuff: Tamsin Blanchard examines the changing shape of what's worn

SPORTSWEAR companies are rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of the Barcelona Olympics, which begin on Saturday, and the marketing bonanza that will follow.

Gina George, senior sportswear buyer for Lillywhites, says: 'There is a big knock-on effect. When Sharron Davies (the British swimmer) makes her first appearance in that Olympic tracksuit, girls everywhere will be rushing out to buy their own replica Adidas.'

Adidas is dressing the British team and has produced a replica unisex Olympic team range, including summer essentials such as running shorts and vests. This could be a profitable summer for Adidas, with its logo on the nation's television screens and strong sales in the high street.

The Olympics is as much a fashion event as a sporting occasion. In Barcelona, the leotard will appear in more guises than ever before, and Lycra will conclusively replace other, looser fitting, fabrics. The dreaded shell suit also will be much in evidence.

Be warned: it may be difficult to separate men from women, both physically and sartorially. The modern female athlete's body is a near-unisex, high-performance machine, with breasts transformed into well-toned pecs. Male and female athletes also wear almost identical outfits, right down to the one-piece bodysuits adopted by male swimmers.

The Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 marked a turning point in high-performance clothing. Lycra, with its streamlined fit, transformed sportswear. Today's hi-tech, body-hugging outfits have little in common with sportswear of previous decades: Ann Packer, the British runner, for example, won the 800m at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics wearing a flapping cotton top and shorts.

In the past, propriety took precedence over function. Today, function is paramount although, in theory, the rules governing athletes' clothing have not changed: clothes must not offend propriety and must not be see-through when wet. After all, we don't want the Olympics to be too much like the Paris catwalks.

(Photograph omitted)