By: Olivia Luo

In the Olympics a nanosecond can make a big difference. For this reason, it is important to choose the right swimsuit to compete in. Today I will tell you which swimsuits are most suitable for Olympic swimming.

The world’s most famous swim brand has been helping swimmers go as fast as they possibly can by constantly pushing the walls of innovation and introducing new technologies. Speedo is one of the best athletic swimwear brands in the world. The company was founded in Sydney in the early 20th century and has been innovating swimwear since 1928. Speedo evolved into the brand of choice for gold medal-winning swimmers thanks to features which reduced drag and surface resistance, as well as being the first to use fabrics like nylon in their swimsuits. Inspired by the varying skin texture of a shark, the original Fastskin suit incorporated compression and ridges in key areas as Speedo developed a fabric which mimicked nature and helped swimmers glide through the water. Sharkskin decreases drag and turbulence, allowing the shark to swim faster and more quietly, an outcome mimicked in the Fastskin suit.

In the Sydney Olympics in 2000, 83% of swimmers who won a medal were wearing the new LZR racer. In 2018, in Beijing, 94% of victorious swimmers – and 98% of those who won any swimming medal – were wearing the latest suit. The iconic LZR Racer, the swimsuit that Michael Phelps wore while winning eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, is an example of an awesome swimsuit.

“In so many ways, that was the golden era,” said Coora Lavezzo, the head of innovation at Speedo’s Aqualab in London. “We’ve got those suits upstairs, and even though I wasn’t there at the time, I’m fascinated by them and just how we can get back to a smidge of that former glory” Lavezzo told APnews.