Speedo, best-known for its swimwear, has announced that it has signed individual endorsement deals with American 2006 Winter Olympic sledding hopefuls Vonetta Flowers, Todd Hays, Noelle Pikus-Pace, Jean Prahm (formerly Racine), and Chris Soule. These are the first-ever winter sport sponsorships for the swimwear brand. The announcement precedes the unveiling of evolutionary suit technology that will make its Olympic debut during the 2006 Winter Games in Torino, Italy, in February.

"Speedo's dominance in the pool is built around a research and development process that engages the world's best swimmers," said Sheree Waterson, president, Speedo North America. "This approach now extends to sledding athletes, opening up unprecedented opportunities for speed."