OBJECTIVE
To develop the best and fastest swimwear by improving on the Aquablade™, reducing the total amount of drag, and moving away from the traditional style of swimwear. SPEEDO® looked to designs from nature to produce a suit that allows
swimmers to glide through water faster than ever before.
DEVELOPMENT PARAMETERS
SPEEDO® will only focus on the management of existing forces and will only more effectively make use of the talents an athlete already has. SPEEDO® will never compromise sporting integrity.
FASTSKIN™ FABRIC
The shark, a creature that is fast in water but not naturally hydrodynamic, was used as a model for the Fastskin™ swimsuit. The shark's quickness is
attributed to V-shaped ridges on its skin called dermal denticles, which decrease drag and turbulence around its body, allowing the surrounding water to pass over the shark more effectively. Due to the drag effect that occurs when an object travels through water, Fastskin™ fabric was constructed with built-in ridges emulating sharkskin. Fastskin™ is composed of "super stretch" fabric made to improve the suits fit and compress muscles. The result is a reduction of
drag and muscle vibration, which increases productivity.
ULTIMATE FIT
SPEEDO® used a revolutionary body scanning process to define and understand each swimmers' body shape. By scanning digital images of swimmers in eight different positions, SPEEDO® was able to identify exactly how the body moves and stretches. Using this information, SPEEDO® created a suit with a much closer fit.
Using this technology, SPEEDO® has created the only 3D swimsuit pattern
in existence, which emphasizes good position in the water and reduces drag. With no excess fabric and a maximum stretch, SPEEDO® was able to produce a swimsuit that allows a full range of motion for a swimmer. BODY MOVEMENT
Since muscles work in groups, the Fastskin™ suit aids in connecting muscles through a combination of panels and unique seaming. SPEEDO® created an anatomic/dynamic pattern where seams act like tendons and provide tension in the suit while the
fabric panels act like muscles, stretching and returning to their original shape. Seams are an instrumental element in minimizing drag and optimizing performance. Because the seam plays such a vital role in allowing fabric to be stretched to maximum tension, which gives complete freedom of movement, the number of stitches is very high in the Fastskin™ suit. A Fastskin™ swimsuit contains 22 stitches for every 1 inch of seaming. Every inch sewn uses 52 inches of thread.
GRIPPER
Through continuous research and testing with some of the world's most elite swimmers, SPEEDO® found that athlete concerns focused upon the loss of the "feel of the water" along the inner forearm. To remedy this, SPEEDO® incorporated gripper fabric in the Fastskin™ along this area. The gripper fabric is used to mimic skin and replace the swimmer's sensory requirements, increasing the "grip" or feel for the water through stronger friction.
TESTING
Worldwide development and testing began in September 1996, right after the Atlanta Summer Olympics. SPEEDO® consulted swim coaches, as well as specialists in fluid dynamics, biomechanics, textile technology, garment engineering and sports science.
Body temperatures were recorded during extensive two-hour workout and training sessions to ensure that wearing a full-body suit would not cause athletes to overheat, with no increases in core temperature being
recorded.
Stroke efficiency was measured using underwater video and computer analysis.
Final testing results found that the new fabric has a 3% lower surface resistance over that of the Aquablade™, which 77% of medal winners wore in the 1996 Olympics. In addition, the Fastskin™ with arms is 7.5% faster than all other suits tested.
Fastskin™ was fully approved by the Federation International de Natation Amateur (FINA) in November 1999.
Fundamental
in the involvement, development and execution of all testing were Team Speedo athletes:
Jenny Thompson USA
Lenny Krayzelburg USA
Michael Klim AUS
Matthew Dunn AUS
Grant Hackett AUS
Susie O'Neill AUS
Penny Heyns RSA
Joanne Malar CAN
James Hickman GB
Marcel Wouda NED
International Test Centers:
International Centre Aquatic Research (ICAR) USA
AIS - Australian Institute of Sport
Mizuno - Research and Development Department
MIRA - Motor Industry Research Association
SIL - R&D Department
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