Fronted by Michael Phelps, the suit was worn by swimmers who notched up 47 medals at the Olympic Games in Athens. Historically, whilst wearing the Fastskin II, Phelps became the first person to win eight medals at a single Games. The suit was the fastest and most powerful lightweight suit on the market and within six months of its launch, 21 world records had been broken whilst wearing the suit.
At the Beijing Olympics Games, Phelps went one better than before, scooping eight golds in a single Games. In response, the Speedo team went back to the Aqualab and applied the same hydrodynamic principles to create a new FINA-approved Fastskin LZR collection, which catered for everybody from grass roots to elite-level swimmers.
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Patent Index Filing trends reveal impact of the pandemic. Once that demand began to dwindle, McRae shifted his attention to beachwear to support a growing interest in sand and surf activity. He renamed the company McRae Knitting Mills and took a bold step: Rather than produce the wool bathing suits common in the era, he opted to use cotton and silk.
He also dismissed sleeves at that point a swimwear staple and instead opted for a then-controversial look that showed more skin. The resulting suit, the Racerback, fit more like a tanktop; it was a hit, particularly with competitive swimmers, when it debuted in Because it had less drag than wool, Speedo swimwear quickly caught on among athletes. Champion swimmer Arne Borg became a spokesperson; Olympic swimmers adopted Speedo in the s, though Australian athlete Clare Dennis was nearly disqualified in the Los Angeles Games for wearing the shoulder-baring suit.
She wound up winning the gold medal in the meter breaststroke. Another war forced McRae to pivot from making bathing suits to producing wartime goods, but after , Speedo redoubled its efforts to advance swimwear both for athletes and casual beach enthusiasts who wanted to tan more of their bodies.
All of it helped fuel a desire for beachwear that far outpaced conservative thinking. When Speedo started expanding to the United States and England in , demand for new product increased.
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