The Skinny on "The Suit" Straight From Speedo
2008-03-25
Nikki Dryden
Stu Isaac of Speedo took time to speak with SwimNews earlier today. We talked World Records, the new Speedo LZR Racer suit, and what's in store for the Canadians at their upcoming Olympic Trials.
There has been a lot of talk over the last few weeks about the growing number of World Records set in the new Speedo LZR Racer swimsuit. Stu Isaac, Speedo's Senior Vice President of Marketing, has his thoughts on the recent record run. "There's no doubt that the bar has been raised over the last few years with people like Michael Phelps making big breakthroughs. You also know that people put in a lot of work over the last year. Usually Worlds is in the summer, but last year, with Worlds out of the way in April, everyone had time to put in a longer training season and we are starting to see some of the effects of that training too. But there is no doubt that the suit, and the cap, have helped. It is the perfect storm so to speak."

Despite reported comments by Executive Director of FINA, Cornel Marculescu, that the "thickness of the material," will be up for discussion when parties meet in Manchester at World Short Course Champs, Speedo has been in talks with FINA for several years, involving them in the process of the LZR development along the way. "We don't just go through the approval process at the very end," said Isaac. "If we are going to spend millions of dollars on research and development, we are constantly going through the approval process and involving FINA."

The material of the LZR is not totally new either. The base of the suit is the same as the FS-Pro, a micro-fiber woven fabric, which feels more like the old paper suits than a wetsuit. Then panels made of ultra-thin fabric are added in certain places to reduce drag and increase compression. Bonded seams mean there is even less drag. "There have actually been other suits submitted by other manufacturers where the thickness is at issue," noted Isaac about the meeting in Manchester. "The LZR Racer is much thinner and weights less than the FSII. We have stayed light and focused on high compression."

The drag-reducing Aqua V-Cap has also been in the making for years. Natalie Coughlin and Jenny Thompson wore early versions over 4 years ago, but with a lot of tweaking and redesign, the cap too could be responsible for some of the fast times. Natalie Coughlin, Kirsty Coventry, Eamon Sullivan, Stephanie Rice as well as several other of the other recent world record setters all wore the cap.

As for the Canadians, Speedo and Swimming Canada agreed last year that the swimmers would not have the suit for their Olympic Trials. While that doesn't change the qualifying process as the 'A' and 'B' cuts were made last year before the suit, there could be a concern that slower times from the Canadian Trials will affect how Canadians are seeded in Beijing.

"Ultimately, the way the Olympics are seeded, it won't drastically change how heats go," believes Isaac. "The real challenge comes in semis and then everyone will be even. The way I think about it for the Canadians is that while others will have already had a chance to wear it and swim fast, the Canadians will have a little extra mental edge knowing that they have not yet worn it. A good coach can position it as a positive."

Also beneficial to the Canadians Isaac says is that, "We are also finding that there is no learning curve with the suit. When Kirsty Coventry broke the World Record in the 200back she had never worn the suit before. We were having trouble getting her the size she thought she needed so she just grabbed it at the last second and didn’t even warm up in it. The first time she ever wore the new suit in the water was when she broke the World Record!"

While the recent spate of World Records come as huge breakthroughs for some swimmers and mere personal bests for others, at the very least "the suit" will continue to play a psychological role through this summer. Said new double IM World Record holder Stephanie Rice on Australian TV, "I think the suit has got a big play in it, especially mentally. Obviously it's the best suit in the world and knowing you're wearing the best suit in the world gives great confidence going into the race."