Speedo
| Speedo International Limited
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|---|---|
 |
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| legal form | Limited |
| founding | 1910 |
| Seat | |
| Website | www.speedo.com |
Speedo is a swimwear manufacturer whose history dates back to 1914 when the Australian company MacRae Knitting Mills tried to add swimwear to its product range. In English usage, the brand name has become a synonym for swimwear in slip format .
history
Foundation of a specialized lingerie manufacturer
In 1910, Alexander MacRae founded a modern underwear company called MacRae Hosiery manufacturers .
The term Speedo was first used in 1928 when the company launched the first racing-style swimwear. At the time, the product was marketed under the slogan “Speed on in your Speedos” . During the Second World War , Speedo switched almost all of its production to the manufacture of war products such as mosquito nets . After the war, the company resumed the production of swimwear. In 1955, Speedo introduced nylon to its swimwear range of fabrics.
The 1956 Summer Olympics brought Speedo's breakthrough with nylon and the introduction of skimpy swimwear for men. The company expanded internationally, not least thanks to the successes at the Olympic Games in 1968 , 1972 and 1976 : 70 percent of the swimmer medalists wore Speedo swimwear. In the 1970s and 1980s, Speedo began using new fabrics such as Lycra for swimwear.
Developments since the late 1990s
In the late 1990s, Speedo again introduced new fabrics and began with the Aquablade and Fastskin product lines , with the help of which the water resistance during swimming is greatly reduced thanks to a surface similar to shark skin . In the 21st century, in addition to the traditional cuts for swimwear, there are also Speedo swimsuits that no longer only cover the smallest part of the body, but sometimes even the full body.
In the 2010s new products such as leisure swimwear , swimming goggles , ear plugs , towels, swim boards, sportswear and other emblematic clothing as well as watches, sandals, beach volleyball and triathlon products brought a significant expansion to the Speedo product range.
Olympic athletes (swimmers and track and field athletes) took part in a 2005/06 advertising campaign, photographed by the American photographer Michael Muller .
Speedo caused a sensation in the 2008 Olympic year with the LZR Racer model : NASA and various research institutes helped to design
this suit . The result was a dramatic decline in the times achieved. According to experts, the suit should save around half a second per lane (50 m). There was controversy in several national teams as to whether the athletes were allowed to switch to the Speedo model despite existing sponsorship contracts. Instead, the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) banned swimming suits in competitions in 2010 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Speedo: History of Speedo ( Memento from April 5, 2013 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on July 22, 2014.
- ↑ Christoph Seidler: Faster scratching with the miracle swim dress . Mirror online. August 7, 2008.
- ↑ Swim suits prohibited from 2010 ; July 25, 2009.