Lungs burning, muscles screaming out in pain, the symphony of cheers reduced to a mere whisper, the rush of water like a typhoon in your ears. The body in the lane next to you, the moment they become your sister or brother, the moment they become your worst enemy. The hundredths of a second ticking by as if they are trying to race you; they will seal your fate. An entire world reduced to nothing but a black line, the path to success, the road to the all important goal: getting a P.R. “I think goals should never be easy, they should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time,” Michael Phelps, an Olympic gold medalist, once stated. This is the life of a swimmer. We train hard to swim hard, and we swim hard for ourselves and ourselves alone. We push past our own limits to reach out to our dreams, and then we push harder to grasp them.
Essentially every swimmer’s goal upon entering a race is to get a P.R., or a personal record. However, preparation for success begins long before the buzzer signals the beginning of the race. There are many factors that affect a swimmer’s time, ranging from body hair to pool temperature. In fact, a swimmer’s swimsuit can also affect his or her time. Because swimsuits can be such an important variable, swimmers look for specific qualities in their swimsuits: speed, comfort, and durability. A “fast” swimsuit is a swimsuit that has minimal drag; in other words, a skin-tight swimsuit. However, considering that competition swimsuits are always made with the intention of having as little drag as possible, the real dilemma comes down to whether comfort or durability is more important. In my experience, as a swimmer myself, I have noticed that you can never get a perfect balanc...
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...e competition swimsuits met their stretched out, worn thin grave all too soon when considering their price.
Both Speedo and Tyr Swimwear are good competition swimsuit brands that provide a quality product each time. In the end, it comes down to a personal preference: comfort or durability. Personally, I prefer the comfortable option and typically purchase Tyr swimsuits even though they require a bit more of an investment. As Michael Phelps once declared, “I have reached a place in my life where I need to sit down and say, 'Well, what do I do? What's best for me?' I need to look into options for the future.” Look into your future, into the race, into the seconds ticking by, and visualize the moment you reach your P.R. because, although your swimsuit can affect your time, the race is won or lost in your mind, before the official even announces, “Swimmers step up.”
Rushin, S. (2014, 07 13). History of the Bikini Bathing Suit. Retrieved from Bikini Atoll: http://www.bikiniatoll.com
...ike a tank top at the top, with a midsection that connected to shorts on the bottom. (“121 Professional Vintage Sport Photos Taken Before 1925 ~ Crack Two,” n.d.) For the next few decades nothing much changed in the style of the swimsuit, however the materials did begin to change. A silk swimsuit was introduced in the 30’s (“Not So Fun in the Sun: A History of Women’s Swimsuits | Jennifer McQuiston | Historical Romance Author,” n.d.). In 1946, designer Louis Reard decided to hire Micheline Bernardini to model his latest creation – the ‘Bikini’ – because his regular models refused to wear it. This garment revolutionized the swimwear industry.This is a garment well known today as having two separate pieces exposing the mid section. It is believed that because of wartimes, to save money, the government decided to cut back on fabric production, thus the bikini was born.
The world`s sports apparel industry is expected to grow and eventually exceed $ 126 billion by the year 2015. This is mainly due to a noticeable trend towards a healthier and more active life-style. Older demographic segments, as well as women representatives mainly accommodate the change.
Western has multiple sport programs that are compatible with this question. However I am going to discuss the swim team because of my connection I can easily see the connections with the sport product tonium. Tangibility it the first attribute to the spectrum. In regards to swimming there are multiple things that fall into this category. Their is the actually apparel on their body that is needed such as the swimsuit, the goggles, and the swim cap. Then there's the equipment that is used during practice such as the pull buoy, fins, paddles, five gallon buckets, and bungies. These are all tools that are used to enhance the training. Then there’s the travel apparel they have specific pants, jackets, shoes and bags and swimsuits that are used
Pendergast DR, Mollendorf JC, Termin AC. Application of theoretical principles to swimsuit drag reduction. Sports Eng 2006 [cited 2011 Aug 6]. 65-76. Available from: http://www.teamtermin.com/docs/SwimSuit_Drag_Reduction.pdf
As part of this prestige, Speedo has established itself as one of the most prominent and reliable brands in competitive swimming, but for a long time the brand was focused mostly on Australian athletes, where Speedo was founded. As part of sports marketing it’s common for athletic brands to sign athletes to endorsement deals because of the fan bases they bring to the brand. This trend, set by basketball players with shoe deals like Michael Jordan’s groundbreaking deal with Nike, carries over to the sport of swimming, where no name attracts fans like Michael Phelps, the most iconic swimmer in American history. In this ad, Speedo attempts to use their own prestigious background and the name brand of Michael Phelps to establish credibility in the shoe market, which isn’t a product normally associated with the Speedo brand in the United States. Speedo as a brand occupies a very narrow niche athletic wear because of it’s focus on swimming, and many of Speedo’s advertisements aim at either expanding that view of Speedo to incorporate a broader product range, or expanding the target population by encouraging participation in activities already monopolized by
In the U.S., which is the world’s largest market for activewear, sales of feminine activewear totaled $15.1 billion in 2014, representing half of the U.S. activewear market (Zhou et al., 2017). To succeed in the competitive market Lululemon is focusing on designing marketing strategies that specifically address female customers. Women consider a variety of factors before using a sportings garment. Some of the factors include fashion and brand name. Women prefer the activewear designs that symbolize a modern way of living for active females. Lululemon is considering these factors and designing garments with new designs, latest
While swimming, it is important to realize what each body part is doing and where it is moving.
Two ways swimmers can reduce the amount of drag they create is by means of shaving and using the right equipme...
The majority of people believe that high-tech FastSkin swimsuits greatly improve a swimmer’s performance. It is a common belief that these suits decrease the amount of skill required, because they reduce the drag in water and help swimmers glide more smoothly. It also appears that swimmers do not fatigue as quickly in long-length suits and they can take fewer strokes (Tiozzo, Leko, Ruzic 155). It is assumed that less drag can result in a faster velocity for the same energy cost and thus benefiting all swimmers (Chatard and Wilson 1149). Athletes all over the world started to achieve obvious success in the suits after they were introduced. Not everyone saw this improvement in swimsuit technology as fair, so FINA now requires athletes to show more skin (Crouse). With a lot of people pushing for a ban on high-tech suits, FINA decided to only allow waist-to-knee suits for men, and shoulder-to-knee suits for women (Shipley). Although some people support FINA for requiring suits to be made of permeable materials and not cover the full-body, including gold medalist Michael Phelps, not everyone is satisfied (Crouse). FINA’s claim that high-tech suits give swimmers an unfair advantage relies on questionable evidence. It is not universally accepted that the suits greatly improve performance. FINA’s swimsuit ban was not based on precise and dependable tests.
The start of the 2002 track season found me concerned with how I would perform. After a disastrous bout with mononucleosis ended my freshmen track season, the fear of failure weighed heavily on my mind. I set a goal for myself in order to maintain focus and to push myself like nothing else would. My goal for my sophomore track season was to become a state champion in the 100 meter hurdles. I worked hard everyday at practice and went the extra mile, like running every Sunday, to be just that much closer to reaching my goal. The thought of standing highest on the podium in the center of the field, surrounded by hundreds of spectators, overcame my thoughts of complaining every time we had a hard workout. When I closed my eyes, I pictured myself waiting in anticipation as other competitors names were called out, one by one, until finally, the booming voice announced over the loudspeaker, "...and in first place, your 2002 100 meter hurdle champion, from Hotchkiss, Connie Dawson." It was visions like these that drove me to work harder everyday.
To make the suits more durable Rip Curl add double linings or patches where the wetsuit absorbs most f the wear and tare. For instants, Rip Curl adds pads in the knees for extra durability. They also add double linings in the arms and legs but only use a single lining in the torso because it doesn’t receive much wear. Most of Rip Curls suits are black because black attracts the sun, so it keeps the person wearing it warmer. Which again connects back to one of the key design requirements ‘warmth’. Rip curl also puts a lot of important on having good logo’s that stand out.
Regarding to my pompous ambition, I have to admit that physical condition was really something I was short of. The lifeguard team requires candidates to swim four-hundred meters under seven minutes, but I needed ten. Sitting in the classroom and solving math problems equips me with a sharp brain, but not a physical body. However, I decided to give a try, so I wrote down “swimming training” on the top of every page in my diary.
Efficient swimming is all about how well you can control your body in the water. The critical key is to keep your body 'long' and 'relaxed' when swimming. This is achieved by implementing a simple but effective concept called 'Power Words.'
To add to my nerves, Miss Sarah surprised us with the fact that our parents had been invited to watch the test. Ineffectively wishing for them not to show up, my parents walked in and sat in the first row. Due to my unfaltering "luck," my name was the first called for the test. Those still unable to dive were able to opt for a shorter test; however, I was insistent on earning my grade. The intensity of the freestyle was daunting, but I executed it with ease. As I did before my freestyle, I took multiple deep breaths before the even more intimidating backstroke. Hitting my head or my hand on the concrete was a concern because I was swimming backwards; nonetheless, injuries were, fortunately, not an issue. A sight that I can clearly remember is the flash of my mother's disposable camera as I exited the pool with a smile on my face. I passed the class, but, looking back on my learning how to swim today, I do not understand why I was ever so