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Bejing Olympics: USA to use SuperHero Suits for Gold,
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by Barry Artiste | March 27, 2008 at 04:07 am
1735 views | 25 Recommendations | 13 comments
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Barry Artiste, Now Public Contributor
Some are complaining about the level playing field for Athletes over the use of a Speedo's LZR Supersuits, which have broken world records and may garner Gold Medals for it wearers. This NASA inspired suit allows a slimming effect on the swimmers as well as additional blast off power from the starting pad, and the ability to propel themselves through the water with the minimum of drag, thus setting world records for speed and the eventual Gold medals. Some complain science and technology have no place in the olympics when not all swimmers have access to this suit which was allowed by Olympic governing bodies.
The full body suits look more like Superhero Togs reducing drag and materials used constrict certain areas of the body's muscles to make better use of muscle contraction aspects needed in swimming.
My Final Thought
You just know the Kits bandwaggoners will be seeking out these Supersuits and we will find them on faux atheletes, lattes in hand wearing them as a fashion statement at your local beach or nearby Starbucks, just as some people wear exercise wear, yet never see a gym.
SPEEDO(R) LZR RACER(TM) to be worn by top U.S. athletes in Beijing;
Michael Phelps feels "like a rocket" in new suit
LOS ANGELES--(Business Wire)--
To celebrate its 80th anniversary, Speedo, the world's leadingswimwear brand, today launched the new SPEEDO(R) LZR RACER(TM), whichindependent testing has shown to be the world's fastest swimsuit.
Speedo has harnessed the expertise of NASA and a number ofinternational research institutes to create a faster suit which has10% less passive drag* than Speedo's FASTSKIN FSII launched in 2004and 5% less passive drag* than Speedo's FASTSKIN FS-PRO(R), which waslaunched in March 2007 and has seen swimmers break 21 World Records asa result.
Made from an ultra lightweight, low drag, water repellent, andfast-drying fabric unique to Speedo called LZR PULSE(TM), the LZRRACER is the world's first fully bonded swimsuit that isultrasonically welded which gives the effect of no seams at all.
Ultralow drag LZR panels are embedded into the base fabric to create aHydro Form Compression System helping to compress the entire swimmer'sbody into a more streamlined shape and enabling them to cut throughthe water with more power and agility. "When I hit the water, I feel like a rocket," said Michael Phelps,holder of six World Records, who has been involved in the suit's development.
Phelps will be sporting the LZR RACER as he sets out toachieve a record-setting eight gold medals later this year. "I can'twait to race in it - this is going to take the sport of swimming to anew level."
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Barry Artiste
Vancouver, Canada
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (13)
at 04:50 on March 27th, 2008
Barry Artiste, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 05:04 on March 27th, 2008
Your comment about latte drinkers wearing speedos of any type made me hurl in my coffee. Usually they are over weight, enjoy everything they have every day (food, lots of food), and don't mind telling the world how successful they are (by eating copious quantities of food). I want them to call me when they are 80. I doubt I will get a single call, because they will all be dead.
Those people 'WHO SHOULD NOT WEAR SPEEDOS' should be put down, made fun of, excoriated ruthlessly. I am tired of the fat man or woman who thinks that a speedo can pull their rolls of fat in to some magical place and make them look sexy. It only makes me hide the children, in case one of those behemoths accidentally sits on one of them.
It's disgusting. Stop it already. 5'8" and 200 pounds. FAT person. 5'2" and 225 pounds. Death at 55 years of age. It's not your glands fat people. It's the gritz (fried fat, can you believe it?!?). Eat an apple because its better than a large bag of doritos.
That aside....I feel that every advantage that doesn't involve using a needle is for the better. The Chinese judges will be under enormous pressure to highly score their own compatriots.
--- Yeah, Xiao, we were thinking, your family could serve the country better in the northwest.
--- B-but the place is a desert! And 2000 kilometres from a place that isn't always covered in dust.
--- Yes. The final decision won't be made until after you finish your duties judging events at the Olympics this year.
--- My family really likes Beijing.
at 05:24 on March 27th, 2008
Indeed, when the fastsuits got their first Olympic outing in Sydney, they soon graced the windows of the Adidas store... To my understanding, the jury was still out on the efficacy of the new technology, but, like an arms race, none of the top teams wanted to be left behind, even if jut for the psychological effect. I think Ian Thorpe would have set those records in a regular swimsuit... but, this year, Gary "smash-them-like-guitars" Hall Jr. is back!
at 06:49 on March 27th, 2008
My Latte Comment was for the "Trendy we want to wear it first" Kitsalano crowd.
You see them everywhere wearing their "Orange County Chopper or Harley T-Shirts" to give them that tough look or worse leather pants. I was riding my panhead last year, a 1940s model, an old Post WWII mail harley, when admiring looks abounded outside Seigels Bagels with the Kits crowd. Of course the tired comments from them were, I remember when... and If I only had the cash.... and How old is that bike... to the tried and true...you know my brother in law says..........! I just wanted to eat my friggin smoked meat.... but they wouldnt shut up about my bike, of course I did see a few hanging around my bike, all puffed and chicken chested with their Harley and Orange Chopper T-shirts wearing bicycle shorts, yet no bicycles were nearby, some asked if they could sit on it. I let one guys girlfriend sit on it as she was cute. I mentioned since a few of them were wearing these tough biker ad t-shirts if they ever thought of actually buying a Friggin Bike instead of the T-Shirt. Of course they ahemed and hawed, twisted their sandals in the pavement all coy, in other words NO. If they did you just know how ridiculous they would look as they sashay down on 4th and buy one of those electric moped scooters with the grocery basket in the front. Needless to I fired up the engine after a few kicks, and thundered off to enjoy the wind in my follicly challenged hair under my skull cap, as the curious crowd most likely envisioned telling derring do tales to their grandchildren one day over their Soy Lattes that they saw a real honest to goodness army surplus motorbike and almost got to sit on it.
at 06:59 on March 27th, 2008
This is hilarious - and that top photo looks like a still from some unreleased Olympic video game or a potential look for a 'Batman Underwater' prequel...
at 07:09 on March 27th, 2008
It seems like a lot of NowPublic contributors ride... is there a correlation between two-wheel enthusiasm and user-generated content? (Even further off-topic, I loathe riding in Kits- all those crappy roads, blind turns, and oblivious pedestrians... it's like playing Frogger)
at 07:17 on March 27th, 2008
Eamon Sullivan's coach says that the current record-breaking streak is down to training, and not the fastskins.
at 07:43 on March 27th, 2008
Hilarious! How about a Speedo that provides more padding where it counts? Why have speed and efficiency when you can have cat calls and libido enhancing praise?
at 07:43 on March 27th, 2008
Hilarious! How about a Speedo that provides more padding where it counts? Why have speed and efficiency when you can have cat calls and libido enhancing praise?
at 07:52 on March 27th, 2008
My sentiments exactly Jordan, with their Ipods implanted in their ears, is it any wonder some get taken out by buses?
at 07:55 on March 27th, 2008
Actually I saw a brief documentary on the swimmers, and believe you me the padding looks more like a deployed air bag secured to their nether regions,like a flak suit for your nibbly bits
at 08:50 on March 27th, 2008
Hello Barry,
Aside from the illegality, isn't this just a little like taking steroids to give an athlete the edge over other swimmers? It detracts from having a level playing field.
I wouldn't mind if all the athletes had access to the suits, but that's not the case. I think we'll probably here more about this during the Olympic coverage - that is if China is even going to allow coverage.
Rumor has it that the foreign press is already going to be kept out of Tienamin Sq., where the opening ceremony is being televised.
China really is digging their own hole in the world view.
~ Swan
at 13:23 on March 27th, 2008
One Gold Medal China will win hands down is the suppression of the press, too bad it isn't an Olympic event.