NASA Technology Speedo Suit Helping Swimmers Break Records
In the world of Olympic competition, participants will do anything they can to get an edge. Some take things a little too far, using performance enhancing drugs, but you can be sure that even those who would never break the rules are doing everything in their power to get the most out of them. Apparel and equipment manufacturers are definitely on board, spending millions of dollars to produce the ultimate pair of skis, sneakers or skates that will propel their athlete (wearing their logo) to victory. So it is with Speedo, but it may have been a little too successful with its new suit, which has been breaking records by the dozen since it first saw competition.
The suit, called the LCR Racer, uses a variety of different materials to shape and optimize the body of the swimmer, including some panels that flex and provide little resistance along with other panels, along the abdomen, that are much stiffer and provide support. This composite construction, combined with the lack of seams (thanks to ultrasonic welding used to join those panels together), results in a suit with considerably less drag and, ultimately, much greater speeds.
The suit was co-developed with NASA at an estimated cost of roughly $4 million. Since it was launched in February, 16 world records in swimming have been broken. Of those, all but one were broken by a swimmer wearing the LCR Racer.
This excellent performance has earned the suit some extra attention by Olympics officials as qualifying races are getting underway. But, so far, it is in the clear and legal for use in the games. We'll surely be seeing much, much more of if this summer.
From Daily Mail
Related Links:
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
nbwv11 @ Apr 4th 2008 8:24PM
we need naked swimmers in pools of distilled water. period. naked runners on a standardized surface. period. vaulters with wooden sticks. no technology. all athletes competing on the same ground against the same standard. otherwise, its you and the performance enhancing drugs or, the equivalent, your team of research scientists back at the lab. is the guy who ran the mile in 3' 55" really faster than the guy 50 years ago who ran it in 4' 11"? no way to tell, is there?
lauren @ Apr 4th 2008 8:57PM
$4 million!??!? for a SWIMSUIT!? r u SERIOUS!?
jensmom1989 @ Apr 4th 2008 9:03PM
I was a swimmer 25 years ago, and it amazes me the technology today. I wish that all those years ago they had swim suits that were sleek and formfitting and glided across the water easier, maybe I would have been a better swimmer, had more confidence and won more events. If you can practically be naked without actually being naked, I give a thumbs up to the creators!!!!
bust123 @ Apr 4th 2008 9:33PM
Now I only have to shave my arms. YES!!
Justin @ Apr 4th 2008 9:33PM
Now I only have to shave my arms...YES!!!
James R. Dawson Sr. @ Apr 4th 2008 10:25PM
Hello America !! I am "NOT" understanding why "NASA" has the time to modify a swim suit.??Isn't NASA suppose too be doing something else like.., oh maybe "Research & Explore Space"??? I am understanding that Tax Dollars are for Space Exploration...,Not BULLSHIT..!! No wonder we (or should I say NASA) hasn't put MAN out passed the moon.!! OUR WORLD is running out of time..,SO NASA STICK TO THE PROGRAM.!!!!!!
Adam @ Apr 4th 2008 10:48PM
$4 million to DEVELOPE the suit you moron!Not $4 million each!
Mike Thorneburg @ Apr 5th 2008 12:15AM
Lauren: No, not $4 million for A swimsuit. Read the article again. The developmental costs ran about $4 million. That's fairly reasonable for a joint NASA project and since private corporations footed the bill, what are you harping about?
Mike Thorneburg @ Apr 5th 2008 12:26AM
Mr. Dawson: Why the panic? "Our world is running out of time"? Really? In what way? You mean, after 4 billion years of heavy bombardment from those annoying killer asteroids, massive volcanic upheaval and its resulting worldwide climatological chaos and the catastrophic relocation of whole continents, you mean to tell me a little ole quadruped that's been here on Earth a fleeting nanosecond has gone and nearly killed the planet? Are you insane? Just in case, can I have your stuff when you're gone?
krae @ Apr 5th 2008 12:26AM
I think its a shame that atheletes with access to the highest technology, have an advantage over atheletes with pure ability. In time, when there is zero resistance due to swimsuit, hair, or whatever slows us down, we will be back to pure ability, hard work, and talent. But, of course, we will have to keep testing for steroids. It was sure nice back when I swam, losing purely because I was short.
Nowgolf18 @ Apr 5th 2008 5:22PM
I still don't get it. Children and adults are starving to death all over the world. Children are dying at St Jude's, American's are homeless and out of work suffering every day and we have companies that will spend 4 million on a better swimsuit just so we can say our swimmer is faster than yours, or our runner is faster than yours. Our children are suffering just like yours but our completely healthy athletes are running and swimming faster than yours. The priorities in this world are so screwed up it just sickens me the emphasis that is put on sports.
whatshamata @ Apr 5th 2008 8:15PM
What is nice about this suit is the fact that swimmers, both men and women don't have to shave their bodies to reduce drag. My brother swam competitively, and I can remember his shaved body during swim season.
John @ Apr 7th 2008 12:37PM
Suits could make a big difference, but don`t look for many world records thruout all competions, track and field, as the polution is so great, Americans would do better if they fly in hours before there competion, thus using clean lungs to compete We always check the athele`s for drugs or aids in performance, how is this different? Should we begin checking for chemicals in the water, that may help one suit slip and slide better because its made from the correct material, and the others are not.