The era of the high-tech suits, pioneered by Speedo's Fastskin LZR Racer launched prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, will be forever remembered as swimming's darkest hour.

Now, with the suits banned by the sport's governing body FINA this week's Australian swimming championships are being hailed as the first major event where the ''sport will be striped back to its core''.

Since the full body polyurethane suits came into effect more than 170 world records have been broken, 43 of those coming at last year's world championships in Rome.

Those titles were dubbed the Plastic Games, as relative unknowns utilised the buoyancy effect of the suit to its full potential.

Not wanting to fall behind their rivals, Australia's elite fell into line with the rest of the world in adopting the super fast suits. During that time Felicity Galvez was one of many who went quicker than ever before, breaking world records in both the shortcourse 50m and 100m butterfly.

In her ninth year and regarded as the veteran of the Australian team, Galvez isn't sure what to expect in the back-to-the-future approach the sport has reverted to.

''I think it's a bit up in the air,'' she said. ''Our squad has gone in with an open mind, not to consider times we did last year and make this year a new year.

AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

From tomorrow to Sunday at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. TV time: Live daily on OneHD from 7.30-9pm.

For more on this story, see the print edition of today's Canberra Times.