Not sure if it's the suit, the Olympic year, or a combo of both - but I do get the impression that the LZR racer is the fastest suit out there. It's not yet available, but I am sure some people will pull some strings and show up with the suit in Austin.
I think we should all agree to ban the suit from Austin and spread the word to everybody. I know it's not binding - but I think we are all "old enough" to work on the honor system.
Any thoughts ?
Parents
Former Member
I do remember the woolies for sure. The biggest break through for Canadians was the Unique Athletic Rayon swim wear.
I missed the silkies, but here is the progression I came up with back in 2000. Much of this timeline came from a rare interview with Stu Isaac:
Nylon and Beyond
To address the many questions about the bodysuits, it is enlightening to look first at the historical progression of competitive swimming apparel. In 1956, Speedo introduced the nylon suit for the Melbourne Olympics. The lightweight nylon fabric was a departure from the heavy wool and cotton suits previously worn by competitive swimmers.
The next important development came 17 years later, in 1973, when East German swimmers appeared wearing lycra suits at the first World Championships in Belgrade. Prior to the lycra suit, most female racing tanks had a skirted front panel, sometimes called a "modesty panel."
This design was a requirement in American swimming until April 1974, when a rules committee met at the U.S. Indoor Nationals in Dallas and waived the rule. For the first time, American women were allowed to wear the lycra suits in competition.
"Paper" fabric, which is a lightweight, paper-thin blend of nylon and spandex, was invented soon after lycra. Although paper suits became popular in the late 1980s, the material was actually developed in 1974.
Racing suits continued to get smaller and lighter until 1992, when Speedo released the S-2000 suit. The S2000 was different because it had a high-neck profile with a zipper back. The material was a blend of polyester, lycra and polyurethane, and it allowed for greater coverage because the fabric reduced drag. Although the S-2000 torso suit was available for women and men in 1992, it was mostly used by women.
In March 1996, the Speedo "Aquablade" was introduced. Once again, Speedo offered some modified styles, including the half-leg, sleeveless torso suit. The fabric was innovative for its water-repellent qualities, and the drag-reducing effect ushered in suits that covered more skin.
On Aug. 31, 1999, Adidas took the concept of covering more skin to the extreme by introducing the first full bodysuit. It wasn't too long before others caught on. Speedo announced the "Fast Skin" suit in March 2000, and by that time, swimmers had already begun to experiment with all different types of suits.
:bolt:
I do remember the woolies for sure. The biggest break through for Canadians was the Unique Athletic Rayon swim wear.
I missed the silkies, but here is the progression I came up with back in 2000. Much of this timeline came from a rare interview with Stu Isaac:
Nylon and Beyond
To address the many questions about the bodysuits, it is enlightening to look first at the historical progression of competitive swimming apparel. In 1956, Speedo introduced the nylon suit for the Melbourne Olympics. The lightweight nylon fabric was a departure from the heavy wool and cotton suits previously worn by competitive swimmers.
The next important development came 17 years later, in 1973, when East German swimmers appeared wearing lycra suits at the first World Championships in Belgrade. Prior to the lycra suit, most female racing tanks had a skirted front panel, sometimes called a "modesty panel."
This design was a requirement in American swimming until April 1974, when a rules committee met at the U.S. Indoor Nationals in Dallas and waived the rule. For the first time, American women were allowed to wear the lycra suits in competition.
"Paper" fabric, which is a lightweight, paper-thin blend of nylon and spandex, was invented soon after lycra. Although paper suits became popular in the late 1980s, the material was actually developed in 1974.
Racing suits continued to get smaller and lighter until 1992, when Speedo released the S-2000 suit. The S2000 was different because it had a high-neck profile with a zipper back. The material was a blend of polyester, lycra and polyurethane, and it allowed for greater coverage because the fabric reduced drag. Although the S-2000 torso suit was available for women and men in 1992, it was mostly used by women.
In March 1996, the Speedo "Aquablade" was introduced. Once again, Speedo offered some modified styles, including the half-leg, sleeveless torso suit. The fabric was innovative for its water-repellent qualities, and the drag-reducing effect ushered in suits that covered more skin.
On Aug. 31, 1999, Adidas took the concept of covering more skin to the extreme by introducing the first full bodysuit. It wasn't too long before others caught on. Speedo announced the "Fast Skin" suit in March 2000, and by that time, swimmers had already begun to experiment with all different types of suits.
:bolt:
