Diving in to action

While the Olympics are still eight months away, athletes have already started to enter the qualification process. Those lucky enough to have been successful can now concentrate on honing their Olympic preparations.

However, it is not only the athletes that are pulling out all the stops. Many will recall the battle between the various swimsuit manufacturers ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Speedo claimed the bragging rights with 23 new world records as swimmers clamoured to use their polyurethane suits.

As a result, Fina introduced new guidelines, effective in 2010, that banned full-body suits meaning the designers had to return to the drawing board. It is the same manufacturer that has drawn first blood with the launch this week of their Fastskin3 system. Rather than sell a full body suit, Speedo are now introducing a new concept of wearing a cap and goggles to complement a half-suit with all three engineered to work in unison. They have even calculated the percentage savings each component will make, thereby allowing the swimmer to gain crucial advantages.

The greatest saving of 16.6 per cent is in ‘passive drag reduction’, closely followed by an 11 per cent saving in oxygen efficiency, allowing competitors to swim ‘faster, for longer’. Crucially, for those who made the purchase in 2008 or subsequently of the old equipment, Speedo claim that, while the new suits are not ‘faster’ than their predecessor, they can be if all the add-on’s are used in unison!

The new goggles represent the most striking improvement. The flatter lens with streamline appearance may be appealing to those who suffer from goggle movement, while also benefitting from a 63.4 per cent reduction in the force with which the water hits the surface.

Hollywood’s 3D computer graphics were used to design the cap that Speedo claim will exactly fit the countours of the head and face. Call me a cynic, but if that’s the case, if you are truly dedicated (as most are at the top level) – shave your head! It’s a multi-million pound cloning of Duncan Goodhew, with the added benefit of being able to buy a special additional system if you want to keep your long flowing locks!