Caeleb Dressel wears the Phoenix Red colourway of the Speedo Fastskin LZR Pure Intent (Credit: Speedo)
31ST JULY 2021 – In a sport where a tenth of a second can be the difference between gold and silver, American superstar Caeleb Dressel is notorious for leaving nothing to chance – and that includes the suit in which he competes.
Already these Games, Dressel has taken gold in the 100m butterfly, 100m freestyle and led off the USA 4x100m freestyle relay team on their way to victory. On the final day of swimming in Tokyo, Dressel will aim to take his tally to five medals and when he steps onto the blocks, he will be wearing a suit which he played a major part in developing.
The Speedo LZR Pure Intent is a suit designed for the fastest swimmers in the world – by the fastest swimmer in the world.
Throughout the four-year development cycle of the latest Fastskin suit, Dressel has been one of the key sounding boards for Aqualab – Speedo’s global research and development team.
Whether it was Zoom calls to discuss sample suits alongside his coach Gregg Troy, or face-to-face sessions that included blind testing, Dressel has been responsible for many of the adjustments that could make all the difference come race day.
Dr Rob Blenkinsopp, head of innovation at Aqualab, explains: “Caeleb is hyper-sensitive to the performance of his race suits and how it effects his swim, he is able to pick out and feel the smallest change, like a racing car driver can feel the slightest difference in their cars’ performance. This is fantastic for us as we are able to use his experience and abilities to fine-tune our suit.
“Caeleb was involved in multiple rounds of development; we visited him in Florida and had him swim in different prototypes of the suit. We ran blind tests, where Caeleb didn’t know the changes we had made so not to introduce bias, even then he was able to pick out the differences, sometimes even when they were really subtle. Sometimes we moved the bands, sometimes we changed the water repellency treatment – but every single time he identified the change and was able to give us crucial feedback.”
Speaking when the suit was launched, Dressel said: “The LZR Pure Intent feels really good. It’s springy and it’s connected to me. You get the compression where you want it – from the rear all the way down to the back of the legs. It works with your kicks, like you have a little spring. It’s my own super suit!”
“Having been a part of this phenomenal development process, I’m incredibly excited about the new Speedo Fastskin suits. I’ve seen first-hand the work and technology that has been put into creating the best swimsuit in the world. This is exactly why I signed with Speedo – they’re in a league of their own when it comes to producing swimsuits that help me go as fast as I can. I’ve already spent a lot of hours in the pool wearing the LZR Pure Intent and have seen the benefits – and that makes me even more excited for what is to come.”
Dressel also played an important role in the development of the Intent’s sister suit, the LZR Pure Valor. Since the suits were released in 2019, they have been worn by 66% of swimmers who have broken a world record.
In the past two years, he has experimented between the two for his races – and even broken world records in both. In 2019, Dressel broke his first two world records whilst wearing the Pure Intent: the 100m butterfly at the World Championships in Gwangju – taking down Michael Phelps’ record in the process – and the 50m freestyle at the ISL Finals in Las Vegas. A third world record was broken in Tokyo, as Dressel broke the 100m butterfly record, shaving 0.5s off his previous fastest time in history.
A period wearing the Pure Valor in late 2020 resulted in Dressel breaking a phenomenal four world records at the ISL Finals in Budapest. However, heading into the fastest race in the world – Dressel has reverted to his trusted LZR Pure Intent.
However, on the biggest stage of them all, Dressel has opted for the LZR Pure Intent and its increased zoned compression, which helps harness his supreme power. The suit also features three brand new fabrics, which help to increase flexibility and reduce drag – aiding Dressel as he powers through the water in trademark fashion.
A unique textured fabric zone on the rear targets drag reduction through turbulence management, inspired by their most in-depth study of shark scales to date. Whilst the Pure Intent also features new band technology, supporting the hamstrings for a more powerful leg kick and faster upbeat recovery.
Combine all of that with Dressel’s legendary ability to start a race better than all his rivals, power and athleticism which could see him play in the NBA and a technique which has been relentlessly finessed and there is no doubt that when Dressel lines up to race, nothing has been left to chance.
Notes To Editors
Speedo LZR Pure Intent fact sheet
Developed from a deeper understanding of hydrodynamics and the biomechanics of swimming, the LZR Pure Intent is Speedo’s smartest suit to date. Flexible zoned compression allows the swimmer a wider range of motion in the legs and makes it easier to put on and more comfortable to wear. There are three brand new fabrics which directly target flexibility, compression and drag reduction in the areas that need it. The fabrics have been through vigorous flat plate testing, with multiple textures used to identify which were fastest both individually and when combined.
The male swimsuit is available with a high or regular waist and has a unique textured fabric zone on the rear to target drag reduction through turbulence management, inspired by their most in-depth study of shark scales to date. The male suit also features new band technology supporting the hamstrings for a more powerful leg kick and faster upbeat recovery.
The female version features textured fabric zones around the chest and rear, newly engineered precision straps to provide greater comfort and range of movement, and a choice of open or closed back to cater for different body types and preferences
Compressive dual layering along with an improved ergonomic seam placement has been added to the legs of both male and female swimsuits to give maximum compression to key muscle groups to support a stronger kick and harness the power athletes generate in their starts and turns.
ATHLETE QUOTES
Caeleb Dressel (USA) – “The LZR Pure Intent feels really good. It’s springy and it’s connected to me. You get the compression where you want it – from the rear all the way down to the back of the legs. It works with your kicks, like you have a little spring. It’s my own super suit!”
Ryan Murphy (USA) – “The new Fastskin suit feels really fast and I’m happy with the improvements. It’s bright and it looks cool, I feel confident walking around in it. I’m excited to wear it in competition.”
Mack Horton (AUS) – “On tanned people it looks good! Seriously though, I feel really flexible in the Speedo LZR Pure Intent and it’s helping me power through the water. This is the best racing suit in the world and I’m really looking forward to wearing it this year.”
