Womens swimsuit by Speedo for the Australian Olympic team
Object No. 94/94/3
The Museum has an extensive collection of Speedo swimwear and accessories dating from the 1930s to the present including designs produced for the Australian Olympic Games team from 1964 to 2004, the Australian Commonwealth Games team from 1970-2002 and numerous international Olympic teams. This collection is complemented by the Speedo archive which includes scrapbooks, catalogues, posters, newsletters, stickers, photographs, video footage and badges. Speedo's origins lie in MacRae Knitting Mills, manufacturer of cotton and wool knitwear. They produced their first swimming costumes in Sydney, Australia in the late 1920s and in 1928 held a competition to find a name for their new swimwear line. So successful was a staff member's catchy slogan 'Speed on in your Speedo', they changed the company name to Speedo. From the beginning Speedo focussed their attention on producing competitive swimwear complemented by a range of leisure swimwear and knitted apparel and the Museum's Speedo collection and archive illustrates the evolution of swimwear styles and fabrics designed to reduce water resistance and enhance speed. By the 1980s most of the world's top competitive swimmers were competing in Speedo's. Glynis Jones Curator, Design and Society
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Summary
Object Statement
Swimsuit, womens, lycra / nylon, Speedo Australia Pty Ltd, Australia, 1992, as used by Australia in the XXV Olympiad, Barcelona, Spain, 1992
Physical Description
Swimsuit, women's, 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, Australian Team, nylon/lycra Speedo, Australia, 1992 Swimsuit, women's 'Speedo', nylon/lycra, one-piece with cut-away back and crossed straps, black fabric, with light green straps, and wide diagonal panels of fluoro yellow, down each side, with "Australia" printed in black lettering on the left side panel, and "Speedo" and the Australian Olympic logo printed in fluoro yellow and green, on the bust, size 10, crotch is lined, and hygienically sealed with an adhesive plastic strip.
DIMENSIONS
Height
665 mm
Width
335 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
Speedo designed the nylon/lycra suit for the Australian swim team for the Barcelona Olympic Games to train in. Donated by the manufacture Produced for 1992 Olympics in Barcelona
HISTORY
Notes
Although this particular swimsuit was donated by the manufacturer, in an unused state, this type of suit was designed for the Australian swim team for the Barcelona Olympic Games, 1992. This suit does not have the performasnce enhancing characteristics of the S2000 or 'paper' lycra suits, and was primarily used for training. However, member's of the diving team preferred this style of suit. Donated by Speedo to the MAAS in 1994
SOURCE
Credit Line
Gift of Speedo Australia Pty Ltd, 1994
Acquisition Date
14 April 1994
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