25 Facts About Speedo

Speedo International Limited is a distributor of swimwear and swim-related accessories based in Nottingham, England, known for its swim briefs.

Speedo has roots in Australia but is no longer based there.

The Speedo brand was previously manufactured for and marketed in North America as Speedo USA by PVH, under an exclusive perpetual licence, which had acquired prior licensee Warnaco Group in 2013.

In 1932, Speedo made its Olympic debut when 16-year old Australian Clare Dennis won the Women's 200 Meter Breaststroke at the Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Speedo quickly reestablished itself as a leader in swimwear manufacturing and drew controversy when its two-piece was banned by Australian beach inspectors.

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The Speedo sponsored Australian men's swim team took home eight gold medals and brought a new worldwide level of notoriety to the company which debuted the swim briefs that would become synonymous with the brand name.

Speedo finished off the 1950s by exporting to the United States and exploring potential opportunities in South America, Europe, New Zealand and Japan.

In 1958, Speedo began the manufacture of American Warnaco's White Stag ski-wear line.

Speedo began the next decade by completing its acquisition of Robert Shaw and Company in 1971.

The 1970s saw the company pioneer the use of elastane and the brand's use in Olympic record breaking continued at the 1972 Munich and 1976 Montreal games, the latter of which Speedo was an official swimwear licensee.

Also early in the decade, Speedo provided equipment and training to China to aid the communist country's return to the Olympics for first time since 1958.

Under Pentland's ownership, Speedo expanded its line of swimwear to include more fashion-oriented beachwear as well as triathlon accessories.

Speedo began the 21st century with the introduction of its Fastskin swimsuit and, again, broke world records when the Summer Games returned to the swimwear leader's home town.

Three years later, Speedo celebrated its 75th anniversary with special limited edition lines endorsed by Jerry Hall, Naomi Campbell and others.

Speedo offers a range of sportswear, footwear, and accessories ranging from swim goggles to electronics.

Speedo offers a broad range of swim accessories including more than seventy models of goggles, several models of watches, sunglasses, and towels.

Clare Dennis was nearly disqualified from her record-breaking Olympic meet because her suit showed too much skin; early Speedo bikinis were banned from some Australian beaches; more recently, the NASA technology in the LZR Racer suit Michael Phelps wore at the Beijing Olympics was the subject of great media scrutiny.

Speedo adapted this new fabric technology for the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Speedo developed the Fastskin3 as a racing "system", consisting of a newly introduced cap, goggles, and competition suit.

In succession to the LZR Pro and Elite, Speedo switched the branding for their technical suits from "Fastskin LZR Racer" to "Fastskin", continuing the trend they left off in 2008 when they debuted the LZR Racer.

The LZR X performed slightly better than the FS3 in terms of swimmer preference, but Speedo failed to capture much attention at the Games as Mizuno, a Japanese manufacturer, had introduced a new suit designed to circumvent the FINA regulations and aid the swimmer in new ways.

Speedo has released new goggles and a rebranded FS3 cap to go along with the launch.

Several Speedo designs have been removed from the FINA list including the original LZR Racer, and multiple Fastskin models.

Speedo started its YouTube channel dedicated to Speedo and its products specifically in the context of "life in and around the water" on 2 March 2007.

Speedo offers sponsorships to some High School and College Leagues as well as non-profit recreation leagues such as YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs.

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