Japanese swimmer Ai Shibata has complained of exhaustion before she attempts to defend her Olympic 800 metres freestyle title.

The long-distance specialist, who won the gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, has also struggled with weight loss in the build-up to the Beijing Games in August.

"I can't shake off the fatigue," Shibata said with less than two months to go to the start of the Olympics. "However much I eat I still lose weight.

"It's more serious than the swimsuit fuss."

Shibata's reference to the long-running saga over whether Japanese swimmers would be allowed to wear Speedo's LZR racer bodysuit in Beijing was ironic, given her own indecision over the issue.

Shibata has been told by coach Takao Tanaka to "wear a suit that will get results."

Japanese swimmers have been given permission to break existing contracts with their swimsuit makers and wear Speedo suits at the Olympics.

However, Shibata, a former world silver medallist in the 400, is poised to wear a suit by Japanese manufacturer Descente in the shorter distance and an LZR suit in the 800.

"We'll see what happens in the 400 metres," said Tanaka.

"If the results are good we will go with the LZR [in the 800]."

Reuters