Yes this is another thread about the suits.
I think Speedo completely shot themselves in the foot with the LZR Racer suit. If you look back at the history I think they've shown a tremendous amount of arrogance and I, for one, am glad to see karma come back to bite them.
Here's a short history as I see it:
1. Speedo develops the LZR suit and begins an unprecedented marketing blitz at the start of 2008. We're talking TV ads, appearances by Phelps and Coughlin on the Today Show wearing the suits. It was pretty clear Speedo wanted the LZR to be the story of the Olympics, and for the most part they got their wish...
2. Top athletes start wearing the LZR and records fall in droves. Speedo has seemingly accomplished their mission of designing the suit that every serious swimmer needs to have to compete. Paid shill and USA Swimming National Team coach Mark Schubert talks about how the suit is the greatest thing since sliced bread. The suit, however, is not available to the general public.
3. The Olympics go just as Speedo intended. Phelps wins eight golds wearing the suit. The average Joe on the street even knows about the suit. It still isn't available to the general public, though, and demand continues to grow.
4. At the same time, somewhat surreptitiously, several other manufacturers come out with new suits. These fly completely under the radar for a while, but the serious fan can see that the LZR isn't the only fast suit out there. Also, these other suits are actually available to everyone AND are cheaper than what the LZR will cost!
5. The Speedo suit finally becomes available to the general public. I'm sure demand was high initially, but I just never saw it gain huge acceptance outside of National level athletes, college teams endorsed by Speedo, etc.
6. The Blue Seventy Nero emerges as a worthly contender to the LZR and sells like hot cakes. People initially buy it because Speedo attempted to manipulate the market and drive up demand for the LZR. This strategy fails when people realize the B70 is probably just as fast, available, and cheaper.
7. Speedo runs crying to FINA. They convince FINA to impose news rules on suits that will lead to the B70 suit being banned, while allowing the pure, snowy white LZR to remain legal.
8. The Jaked suit from Italy first comes to the attention of the U.S. market when Auburn swims lights out on the final day of men's NCAAs to nip Texas. It's star rises further when a largely unknown swimmer from Spain destroys the 50 meter fly world record and nearly takes down what is considered one of the greatest records on the books--Crocker's 100 fly--which, incidently is one of the few remaining records set without the aid of the latest generation of suits.
9. Speedo's paid shill Mark Schubert flip-flops and is now against the suits.
"It's totally out of control... Now we're into speedboat driving.'' (newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/.../ioc-must-stop-swimming-from-sinking-in-its-leaders-stupidity.html) Or maybe he's only against non-Speedo suits. It's not really clear! :)
I think that about sums it up. The bottom line is Speedo thought they could corner the market with the LZR. They failed because they didn't see other manufacturers coming in to fill the void with cheaper and maybe better suits. I also think they made a big gaffe by pricing the LZR just a little too high. Most people were not willing to shell out $550 for a swimsuit especially one that's only good for a few swims .
Am I missing anything?
Nancy, I suppose shrink wrappage in women doesn't result in the sheer disgust factor of this phenomenon in my gender. I had absolutely no idea you poor things were suffering such rampant fallup and falldown, though I admit keeping a frequent eye out for fallout. In any event, I absolutely would have been, and still will be, Johnny-on-the-spot to lend a helping hand or two if this problem persists.
Fresnoid, I didn't wear lycra suits in the 70s; I didn't even know they made them. My first experience with these was after joining a masters team in the 80s/90s. I remember how comfortable my first Lycra suit felt.
And the next thing I knew, I was facing serious prison time.
a few questions, comments and additions
1. were there LZR TV ads or just stories & features about the LZR?
2. Top athletes start wearing the LZR "because they were sponsored by Speedo" Speedo pays them and requires them to wear Speedo.
3. speedo thought demand continued to grow.
LZR problems began to emerge, zippers breaking during races, suits ripping, & swimmers not getting to use the LZR in many races
6. This strategy fails when people realize the B70 is probably just as fast, available, cheaper, & possibly more durable.
7. Suit related abuses spurred FINA to clarify rules regarding suits.
8. actually Federica Pelligrini wore Jaked at the 2008 Olympics when she broke the WR in the 200 FR, she also wore a second suit beneath it.
here's a shot of her walking around deck after her 200 free
another one
nother one,
9. Speedo's paid shill Mark Schubert flip-flops and is now against the suits.
"It's totally out of control... Now we're into speedboat driving.''
so does this mean that he's now against the LZR or just suits that might be faster than the LZR?
7. Suit related abuses spurred FINA to clarify rules regarding suits.
9. Speedo's paid shill Mark Schubert flip-flops and is now against the suits.
"It's totally out of control... Now we're into speedboat driving.''
so does this mean that he's now against the LZR or just suits that are faster than it?
Good points. I forgot one of the first reasons FINA reacted was because of "suit stacking."
With regard to Schubert, I don't really know. To be fair, he didn't so much endorse the LZR last year as state that it was a game changing suit.
When I was younger, all their suits were nylon and would last forever. Somewhere along the way, they switched to Lycra Spandex, which was the most miserable excuse for a swimming fabric you can imagine outside of maybe Kleenex or wood.
Maybe that was the general experience for men, but women's nylon suits could be miserable. There wasn't enough stretch so it was difficult to get a good fit. We used shoestrings to keep the straps from slipping off shoulders, had gaping necklines that scooped up water, got raw rubbed areas on the shoulders, had the suit ride up on flipturns, had "fallout" and "falldown" for anyone who wasn't flat-chested, and yes, they also faded badly and got holes.
Buying a lycra suit that was only decent for 3 months still seemed like a good alternative.
Superb conspiracy theory, which I actually agree with. The one thing I see you may have missed is that the LZR, from what I have heard, is extremely short-lived, getting quickly stretched out after a meet or two. In contrast, the B70 lasts much, much longer. So not only is the latter initially cheaper, but it lacks the planned or unplanned obsolescence of the LZR. This, more even than the initial price differential, is a huge advantage.
Speedo has a history of this kind of thing, at least in my mind. When I was younger, all their suits were nylon and would last forever. Somewhere along the way, they switched to Lycra Spandex, which was the most miserable excuse for a swimming fabric you can imagine outside of maybe Kleenex or wood.
Within three weeks of wearing a perfectly fitted Lycra suit, especially if you made the mistake of going into the hot tub after practice, your urological apparatus became more or less shrink-wrapped in form fitting and largely dye-depleted see-through material. Even if you were of the temperament not to mind such exhibitionism, it forced your disgusted teammates to hem and haw their way into suggesting it was time to get a new suit.
Until competitors came out with polyester alternatives, I am convinced that Speedo would have happily wracked up profits forever on this quick turnover cycle of expense-obscenity-threatened morals charges-new expense suit sales formula.
All this being said, I will give kudos to Speedo for their 70's era swim suit catalog models whose comeliness provided my adolescent morph with no shortage of motivation.
Who wore Lycra suits to workout in the 70's? As I remember it, everyone knew they were only for racing since they dissolved so quickly with chlorine exposure.
The only proof you really need for this theory is for someone to confirm that the short supplying the suit was part of Speedo's strategy. The rest of the narative falls into place after that...
All of the press releases that were sent out about wolrd record swims performed in LZR's were provided to the AP by Speedo. I know that for a fact (Okay, I don't know that for fact at all!).
Good point on the durability issue.
The fact that Speedo tried to manipulate the market with the LZR is beyond dispute, IMO. Whether they influenced FINA on the new requirements for suits is a little more unclear, but I suspect they did to some extent.
This whole story has the makings of a good magazine piece. Too bad we don't have a writer on this board. :)
Here is where the other thread on modern publication (non-swim-related threads) comes into play, perhaps. In order to prove the conspiracy theory we would need some good, seasoned investigative reporters, some disgruntled insiders at Speedo, some lawyers to defend the writer(s) against Speedo libel suits (ooh, a good name for a new brand! the "Libel Suit" ha ha ha ha) (I digress; drivel), and an interested audience larger than the swimming world.
I rather liked the nylon suits. Mine was orange and would have lasted forever had I not forgotten it in a locker at UNC-Chapel Hill about 20 years ago. There is a store in Ipswich, MA, that still sells them, very cheap. My brother gave me two from that store. Alas, I'm too concerned with image to wear such outdated swimwear now. Also, they were too small.
I am glad to wear Nike polyester suits to practice. They last a year and don't lose their elasticity around the legs, as my Speedo polyester version did. Until I discovered the Nike polyester suit, I was forking out either $35 or $60 every 8 weeks for another suit.
Ande- Clicking on the pictures it doesn't look like a tech suit underneath...? Do you know?
It's not a tech suit. I have the Olympics on DVD and have watched it numerous times. Looks like a regular training suit. I think this type of suit would trap the most air underneath the tech suit.
8. actually Federica Pelligrini wore Jaked at the 2008 Olympics when she broke the WR in the 200 FR, she also wore a second suit beneath it.
Was suit stacking banned right after the Olympics?
