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Image Not Available for Speedo Aquablade Leg Suit worn by Petria Thomas
Speedo Aquablade Leg Suit worn by Petria Thomas
Image Not Available for Speedo Aquablade Leg Suit worn by Petria Thomas

Speedo Aquablade Leg Suit worn by Petria Thomas

Maker
Date1998
Object number00040003
NameSwimsuit
MediumPolyester, elastane
DimensionsOverall: 710 x 500 mm, 0.14 kg
Clothing size: 12
ClassificationsClothing and personal items
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Petria Thomas
DescriptionDesigned for the World Championships, this Speedo Aquablade Leg Suit is made from a polyester elastane fabric printed with water repellent resin stripes. The suit features a zip on the right side seam and a high neck line. Covering the thigh to the knee, the sleeveless design aimed to reduce drag and support the movement of the leg muscles. The chest has been printed with the sponsorship logos of Speedo and Telstra, and features the text 'AUS' above a stylised map of Australia around the text 'World Chaps 1998'. HistorySpeedo's Aquablade range was launched in 1996 for the Atlanta Olympics. The Aquablade fabric features a stripe print created by an applied water repellant resin. The 'rough' and 'smooth' stripes produce different speeds of water flow across the suit. This hydrodynamic surface creates verticle spirals of water, which increase the water flow and keep it closer to the swimmer's body. The construction of the fabric also reduces the amount of water absorbed, making the suit lighter in the water and quicker to dry. By reducing the overall resistance of the suit in water, the fabric improves the swimmer's glide time. Independant testing on the fabric and silhouettes took place at the Institute for Hydrodynamics as Ruhr University, Germany. 46 tests on 11 swimwear fabrics concluded that the Aquablade had an 18% lower surface rsistance that the S2000, which was the Speedo suit produced for the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. The Aquabalde also had a 23% lower surface resistance than conventional nylon lycra swimwear fabric. SignificanceThis Australian made suit was worn by Olympian Petria Thomas at the World Championships in 1998. It is an important example of the technological developments in competitive swimwear made by Speedo during the 1990s.