Unveils Team USA LZR RACER Suit for Beijing

Tag : Bonded Nylon

The launch of the Team USA Speedo LZR RACER allows the originalComme des Garcons design to be finally revealed as the traditionalgray and black silhouette has been updated with the patriotic starsand stripes of the USA flag. The design by visionary founder ofComme des Garcons, Rei Kawakubo, joins the distinctive metallicsilver calligraphy that already appears on the suit. Thecalligraphy, painted by celebrated artist Inoue Yu-ichi, means'kokoro' representing the heart, spirit and mind.
Rei Kawakubo said, "I was interested in expressing the energy andthe power that comes from the spirit, embodied in the meaning ofthe calligraphy, together with the will to win for one's country,symbolized by the iconic flag of the USA. I am very honored andproud that Team USA will be performing in the pool in Beijing withthis strong creative design."
Though the Team USA LZR RACER suit will not officially debut untilBeijing, it is being unveiled now in conjunction with the upcomingU.S. Olympic Team Trials beginning June 29th in Omaha, Nebraska.Speedo's Team USA LZR RACER will be individually created for, andexclusively available to, all members of Team USA in Beijing.
"I've been wearing the Speedo LZR RACER suit for the past severalmonths and I've had a lot of success in it," said U.S. Olympic Goldmedalist and Speedo sponsored swimmer, Natalie Coughlin. "Not onlyis this the fastest suit out there but it now has a beautiful,patriotic feel to it which is very cool. I hope I have theopportunity to proudly swim in it in Beijing."
An unprecedented 38 world records have been broken by swimmerswearing the LZR Racer since its launch in February. Speedoharnessed the expertise of NASA and a number of internationalresearch institutes to create the suit which has 10% less passivedrag* than Speedo's FASTSKIN FSII launched in 2004 and 5% lesspassive drag* than Speedo's FASTSKIN FS-PRO(R), which was launchedin March 2007 and swimmers wearing it broke 21 World Records.
Made from an ultra lightweight, low drag, water repellent, andfast-drying fabric unique to Speedo called LZR PULSE(TM), the LZRRACER suit is the world's first fully bonded competition swimsuit.The suit is ultrasonically welded which gives the effect of noseams at all. Ultra low drag LZR panels are laminated onto the basefabric to create a Hydro Form Compression System helping tocompress the entire swimmer's body into a more streamlined shapeand enabling them to cut through the water with more power andagility.
"Since 1928, Speedo has been leading the world in swimwear designand technology and our partnership with Comme des Garcons continuesthat pioneering spirit," said Paula Schneider, President of SpeedoUSA. "The Speedo LZR RACER suit is the ultimate swimsuit through acombination of cutting edge performance, innovation and design.We're proud to offer Team USA the best in technology and design."