Thursday, February 8, 2024 6:00 a.m.
Speedo is no stranger to innovative technology. But 15 years after the race suits they produced were deemed “technological doping” and banned, they are back with new space-age technology that could change the swimming world.Matt Hardy digs deep.
Drug doping is at the center of one of the sport’s biggest controversies of our time, with massive rebuttals to its use sometimes resulting in retrospective justice for athletes far beyond their professional careers.
But in 2008, competitive swimming suffered from a different kind of doping: what some describe as technical doping. The LZR Pro (pronounced laser) suit was Speedo’s featured item ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This was a revolution in swimming technology, allowing athletes to rely on a new style of race suit, and the results were immediately proven.
The suit is made with ultrasonically bonded seams from neck to ankle and was consulted by NASA experts. Time magazine hailed the case as one of the greatest inventions of 2008, next to retail DNA testing and Tesla.
A total of 94 percent of the Olympic races that year were won by athletes wearing LZR, and 98 percent of all medals had the same thing in common.
Michael Phelps wore the bottom half of his suit as he won eight gold medals in the Chinese capital, but some wondered what he could have achieved if he had worn the whole thing.
Speedometers are outlawed
But 15 years ago, at the World Aquatics Championships, swimming’s governing body, then Fina and now World Aquatics, outlawed the lawsuit.
While some saw this as a legitimate outcome, given that not all athletes can get it, primarily due to their contracts with sponsors, Fina’s call was unfair and human Some described it as a barrier to testing the true limits of what is possible.
But there’s only so much time you can deny the advances that are commonly occurring in the world of sports technology. Golf clubs are changing, referees are provided with video help, and AI is starting to impact the future of illegal sports betting.
Back in the water, hundreds of athletes will take on the challenge of competing at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha next week, giving them a new feel for the fast lane.
Speedo’s new Fastskin LZR Intent and Valor 2.0 swimsuits are literally space-age.
The suit, which uses space technology to improve water repellency (shoulder-to-knee for women, waist-to-knee for men), was used in 75 percent of all records set in 2023. This is the new version of Fast Skin for 2019. .
One of the latest Jammer wearers is Team GB Olympic 4x200m Freestyle Relay gold medalist and multiple world champion Matt Richards.
Good points about suits so far
“The suit that Speedo introduced took everything that was good about the previous, world-renowned suit and just completely improved it,” he says. City AM
“It’s very durable and water-resistant. The entire design concept was taken, tweaked, and improved.
“It does a lot for you and helps you stay buoyant in the water. Also, for men wearing shorts, your hips are quite high in the water, and this is usually a more important drag point.” It becomes.
“This allows you to move through the water faster and easier, which is part of what makes the suit better. It allows you to swim longer and better.”
You could say it’s a slight increase in aquatic life due to steroids. However, debates over whether or not to fully embrace technology are common in sports in general. Athletics is dabbling in smart spikes for runners, and auto racing teams are looking for the next carbon fiber equivalent.
And then there are the issues of fairness and transparency. Should Speedo be allowed to monopolize racing technology when other manufacturers can’t offer the same technology to athletes, and isn’t this level of advancement fair to competitors?
I loved Speedo’s old suit.
“I didn’t live in the era of bodysuits, but I grew up watching them and loved them. The time they were able to record. [were fast]” said British swimmer Duncan Scott, who won four medals at Tokyo 2020, the most medals won in a single Olympics. City AM
“This suit has allowed some people to make some pretty scary swims, but given how good the suit is, I’d be a little doubtful if it wasn’t.” I’ve heard a lot about the new suit and I’m also participating in the research, and I’m really looking forward to racing there.
“They’ve made a little bit of progress, so it’s very exciting. It’s a very small detail as to who’s going to be first and second, so it’s reassuring to know how good this suit is.
“When I put on my old suit and compared it to Fastskin 2.0, it’s huge. It has more compression and tightness, more flexibility, and a dripping shine. I feel lucky. And I really like it.”
embrace technology
We should embrace technology, change and advancement in sporting outcomes, right? That’s the only way elite athletes will continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in sport.
But to what extent will we allow this? We have previously seen how Speedo and its versions of LZR have been involved in claiming unfair, so-called technical doping advantages. I’m here.
“Fina would like to recall the main and central principle that swimming is essentially a sport based on the physical performance of athletes,” the governing body said in 2009 when it imposed restrictions on the wearing of full-body suits. .
The proportion of winners wearing the new technology has decreased at Olympic level compared to the proportion of winners wearing the 2008 version. So, putting aside the idea of the relative improvement of swimmers compared to possible technological advancements, it’s satisfying to see that the new Speedo is the world’s latest leader in the fight to advance technology and ambition in the sport. It may be necessary, but it can still be involved.
Speedo’s Fastskin 2.0 is now available at select retailers and online. https://www.speedo.com/