Speedo launches new 'space age' swimwear
New swim gear was presented by the Australian swimming team – including world champions Grant Hackett and Leisel Jones – at a press conference in Beijing on February 12.
Celebrating 80 years in business, the company has produced what it claims is the world’s fastest swimsuit, the Speedo LZR Racer. The suit offers 10% less passive drag than its Fastskin FSII launched in 2004 and 5% less passive drag than the FS-PRO, launched in March 2007. It is made from an ultra lightweight, water repellent, fast drying fabric that is ultrasonically welded and gives the effect of having no seams.
Special low drag LZR Panels are embedded into the base fabric to create a Hydro Form Compression system, helping to compress the swimmer’s body into a more streamlined shape.
The new swimwear took three years to develop and involved the scanning of more than 400 swimmers' bodies. Technical tests involving more than 100 different fabrics and suit designs in various flume and test centres also took place.
The suit has been approved by FINA (Fédération International de Natation Amateur) and will debut at national trials around the world in March. A retail version of the suit will be available in May and swimmers will be able to wear the new suit at the Beijing Olympics in August.
