Why The Olympics Banned The Fastest Swimsuit

This swimsuit was banned from the Olympics for making swimmers TOO FAST. You remember that year Michael Phelps won more gold medals in a single Olympics than anyone ever? He was wearing this suit!

Here’s what happened - and if you like optimistic science and tech stories, subscribe to see more.

In 2008, Speedo collaborated with NASA to make the “LZR Racer.” This suit was SO COOL. The fabric mimicked sharks’ skin with little channels that made water flow more easily. It had panels that sucked swimmers’ bodies
into a more streamlined position. And people speculated that the way it trapped air made athletes float better in the pool… which Speedo denied.

But other brands quickly made their own “supersuits” and this new tech helped swimmers CRUSH world records. The swimming world lost their minds...

When sports gear gets TOO GOOD like this, they call it “TECH DOPING”
And if you want to know more, watch our longer episode all about it!

#shorts #animation #science #technology #historyfacts

[rifqitaqiuddin]

Thats a Badge of Honour to the Engineers.

[justinfabian]

The other reason(s) it was banned was that they cost $750-900 and could only be worn once or twice. This created a significant disadvantage for most swimmers, particularly in the lower age groups.

[YoungGandalf]

If I were to wear one of those suits, would I be able to do anything better than doggy paddling in the water?

[LegoBluie]

Simple solution! Just go to customisation settings and put that swim suit as the default suit. BAM!

[WhiltiernaAria]

Truth. I had a speedsuit in high school in early 2000s and it was banned the year after I graduated.

[BrazenPhrasin]

Solution: Techlympics. Same events, only one rule around limiting tech to help athletes perform: A human must still be performing the core task physically (not remotely).

[dylanlamarre]

For Olympics where the objective is to compete human performance, sure, ban them. But there needs to be another stream where tech-enhanced performances get to compete to drive the technology forward. There are so many practical uses for them.

[ld]

we need a separate olymics where there are no limits to tech doping, the technologies that could come out of that could be awesome.

[figo]

“It’s evolving. Just backwards…”

- A wise man

[sandalphoncpu]

There’s a saying in F1 that the most satisfying achievements you can possibly have is when the technology you helped developed gets banned for being too good

[BlackEagle]

Bring back the OG Olympics where everyone is just naked

[thomasjames]

As with most technologies, there is probably a military application for this.

[real.xplot]

Now I think we need a F1 equivalent for swimming where engineering teams and athletes team up and prepare the best high tech swimming suits and compete with each other

[oarabiletshwagong]

Apparently there were also running shoes that were banned to use during marathons

The shoes apparently made runners faster than before resulting in marathon records being broken

[ZekeDomowski]

I did a materials engineering speech on this swimsuit back in college discussing how it was laser welded!

[panimalos]

And then their is that turkish guy with his hand in his pockets😂

[taesley]

I don’t understand why they didn’t just make it standard

[nyohohoo]

That couldve been a great tag line "We engineered the best swimsuit, even the Olympics hates it"

[SethJV]

Léon Marchand after hearing he wasn't allowed to where them:

"Oh no! Anyway. 🐬"

[jojokeane]

Michael Phelps was up against other swimmers wearing the same type of suit. He's still the best of the best.