January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
New suit helping swimmers glide through the water
Makin’ Waves gets new Speedos for Burch, Aitken
Now the Speedo LZR bodysuit - a swimming innovation that has been referred to as 'steroids on a hanger' - can add a Bermudian national record to its list of accomplishments.
Makin' Waves boss Doug Patterson, who managed to get prototypes of the suit for Bermuda's two Olympic swimmers - Roy Burch and Kiera Aitken - said it had been a proud moment to see Kiera knock more than a second off her Bermuda record on Sunday.
"I'm not sure if the suit had anything to do with it but at least Kiera and Roy were able to compete on a level playing field in terms of having the best equipment.
"For Kiera to take a second and a half off her best time in one meet is phenomenal.
"At that level it's a great achievement to take a tenth of a second off your time."
The suit - a rubbery full body suit that displaces water more efficiently than skin - has been hailed as a phenomenon by athletes across the globe.
Nike - in an unprecedented concession - allowed its athletes to wear the suit, manufactured by one of its rivals.
Patterson said Speedo had not made it available to the public before the Olympics to prevent its competitors from copying the design. But he said he had managed to hook up two for Burch and Aitken through a contact in Puerto Rico,
"I didn't believe we'd managed to do it until Roy e-mailed me and said the suit had been FedExed to him in the U.S.
"Here we have athletes who have dedicated years and years of training to make it to this level and we felt to compete against the best, they should have the best equipment.
"I don't know if it's psychological or physical or both, but records are falling all over the place."
Roy Burch, who competed yesterday in the 100m freestyle, said: "The suit definitely gives you a mental edge.
"Physically it makes you more streamlined, cuts down on resistance and makes you more bouncy in the water.
"They definitely feel different. You'd have to be a swimmer to feel the difference because you have to be moving quickly enough to get something out of it."
The suits will retail for $550 when they become available.[[In-content Ad]]
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