Blown out of the water

So apparently it's big sporting news that Phelps lost out in the swimming world championships this week. Japan's Junya Koga took the gold for the men's 100 m. backstroke, as reported here.

What gets me, though, is how there seems to be debate about whether Phelps lost because of his swimming or his swimsuit. Why is this even an issue? Excerpt from the article:

Biedermann is the world champion.

"The suits make a difference," he said. "I hope there will be a time when I can beat Michael Phelps without these suits. I hope next year. I hope it's really soon."

Phelps can't wait.

"It's going to be fun next year," he said, "when swimming is back to swimming."

Wha? When swimming is back to swimming? If it were about the swimsuit, then why the hell didn't Phelps just wear the better one? I mean, maybe I am oversimplifying, but it seems to me like Phelps must have been aware of the fact that his suit was subpar, if that were the case. Or did he jump out of the pool after losing and exclaim "Ohh, that's why - look, that dude totally has a better suit than me!"

In any case, as the article notes, Phelps was served a hearty portion of defeat. Chew on that, Americans...!