In the high-stakes world of Olympic swimming, the margin between victory and defeat can be as slim as a fraction of a second. While athletes rely heavily on their skills and intensive training, the right swimsuit can offer a crucial advantage in these tightly contested races.
For the Paris 2024 Olympics, Speedo has unveiled the latest iterations of its Fastskin LZR Pure Intent and Fastskin LZR Pure Valor swimsuits. According to the company, since 2019, swimmers donning LZR suits have been responsible for 52 percent of all individual swimming world records and have claimed 61 percent of gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
The newly released LZR Pure Intent 2.0 and LZR Pure Valor 2.0 are engineered with Lamoral Space Tech, a lightweight coating originally developed to shield satellites in space, rendering these swimsuits exceptionally water-repellent.
The LZR Pure Intent 2.0 is specifically designed for sprint swimmers, incorporating dual compression and textured fabric zones to reduce drag. On the other hand, the LZR Pure Valor 2.0 is crafted for distance and multi-event swimmers, providing moderate compression and boasting six times the water repellency of previous Valor suits. Elite US swimmers such as Caeleb Dressel, Ryan Murphy, and Regan Smith are set to test these suits at the Paris Olympics.
Kevin Netto, an exercise science expert at the Curtin School of Allied Health in Australia, highlighted the significance of minimizing drag in swimming. "The biggest factor in swimming, because it's in water, is drag, which is far and away the main detractor for speed," he explained. "So anything that will change drag forces, it's worth its weight in gold."
Speedo is not the only brand striving to boost Olympic swimmers' performance. Katie Ledecky, one of the most renowned female swimmers, will be sporting TYR's Venzo suit. This suit incorporates frictionless yarn initially developed for the military in Italy. The ultra-smooth fabric repels water, enhances body position, and reduces resistance. Its innovative textile design also provides targeted support for the core and legs, improving stability and comfort.
The impact of swimsuits on athletic performance continues to be a subject of debate. However, in a sport where milliseconds can determine the outcome, every slight advantage is crucial.
"You're talking about maybe a one percent difference in a race," says Ryan Murphy. "Any little thing we can get to improve times, improve body position in the water, assist your technique, you're really looking for that."