The bib – which will also have the swimmers’ numbers on, like in athletics – will be tested at next year’s World Championships in Montreal in an effort to encourage more cities to bid for events, reports the UK’s Daily Telegraph.
Cornel Marculescu, FINA’s executive director, said: “The income from sponsorship goes to the sport. Our aim is to pay for 1,500 athletes for 15 days plus 800 flights.
“Our dream by 2007 [when the World Championships are staged in Melbourne] is to pay for all teams’ flights, accommodation and medals.”
The World Short Course Championships being staged in Indianapolis are said to be worth $1million a day to the city.
The sport also hopes that improvements in marketing and development could give rise to significant prize money.
