Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week or so, you’ve probably seen Michael Phelps set an Olympic record for 8 consecutive Gold medals won by a single Olympian.  Phelps is one of the greatest Olympic swimmers of all time and he recently modeled Speedo’s new LZR Racer swimsuit and I wanted to talk a little about the technology behind it.  The following is a list of the features of the suit:

Michael Phelps modeling the new Speedo LZR racer swimsuit

Michael Phelps modeling the new Speedo LZR racer swimsuit

  • The suit is constructed from LZR pulse fabric, an ultra lightweight water repellent fabric which also reduces muscle oscillation and skin vibration through powerful compression.  It is also fast drying which results in low skin friction drag in the water.
  • Specially constructed thin and low drag panels are placed at strategic points all over the suit for streamlined and optimized drag reduction.
  • A core stabilizer holds the midsection of the swimmer in a corset like grip to help maintain better body position.
  • Ultrasound bonded seams result in a smooth and flexible surface on the bodysuit.
  • A low profile zipper further adds to the streamlining of the suit.

Now Michael Phelps didn’t actually wear the suit when he set the Olympic record for most consecutive gold medals, but there are several other swimmers that wear this suit.  Training in the suit can also help you learn how to control your body and perfect your form as well.

Aside from specially designed fabric and ultra slim design, the one thing about this suit that amazes me is the reduction of muscle vibration.  You wouldn’t usually consider your muscle vibrating every time you put your arm into the water for that next stroke but it can actually slow you down quite a bit.

Now although the suit has a lot of features that make it one of the best swimsuits for anyone who wants to swim as fast as they can and one day maybe top Phelps’ records, but there’s one more feature that wasn’t mentioned michael phelps leghere.  If we zoom in to the picture near the middle of Michael Phelps’ right leg, near the white logo we can see what actually gives the suit its speed:

Miniature Michael Phelps are woven throughout the suit, giving it its unparalleled speed! Now when someone asks how Michael Phelps swims so fast you can tell them.:)

All kidding aside Michael Phelps is without a doubt the greatest Olympic swimmer that anyone has ever seen.

You can read more about Michael Phelps by visiting his homepage.