U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps recently made Olympic history becoming the athlete with the most gold medals, but did you know that the swimsuit that helped him break seven world records in Beijing is made in Portugal?
While almost everyone seems to be trying to uncover Phelps' secret to his surreal performance in the Olympic Games, some point to his bathing suit.
They maintain that its unique features when added to Phelps' distinctive anatomy - body shape and flexibility - make a golden combination.
The swimming suit, which is manufactured by Petratex of Portugal and was designed using NASA expertise, has less than 10 percent passive drag and is said to shave split seconds off the times of the world's best swimmers.
Petratax, headquartered in Paços de Ferreira, northern Portugal, is the exclusive manufacturer of Phelps' swimsuits.
Sergio Neto, Petratex's manager, said he is very proud of his company's ccomplishment.
"This give us even more strength to carry out more projects, and do even more than what we have already done," said Neto. "We must not be conceited, but feel proud. And we have to congratulate all the team that manufactured this swimsuit."
Phelps' uses a Speedo LZR Racer. The model was developed after Speedo scanned the bodies of hundreds of elite swimmers and tested more than 100 different fabrics.
"When I hit the water, I feel like a rocket," Michael Phelps has said about the swimsuit. "This is going to take the sport of swimming to a new level." Neto stressed the distinctiveness of the technology employed to make the swimsuit. "It's very unique... the way we bond the suit and the concept of the piece in order to achieve maximum stability, less friction in the water, and total impermeability, as incredible it may seem," said Neto. RACER is the world's first fully bonded swimsuit that is ultrasonically welded, which gives the effect of no seams at all. Ultralow drag LZR panels are embedded into the base fabric to create a Hydro Form Compression System helping to compress the entire swimmer's body into a more streamlined shape and enabling them to cut through the water with more power and agility. Phelps has personally thanked Petratex's administration for the assistance they have provided in helping him to attain his titles. The swimmer has sent the company an autographed photo with a personal handwritten thank you note.
Meanwhile, the Speedo LZR Racer is making a splash of its own. Many have showed interest in buying the swimsuit, and it will now be available for retail sale. Three silhouettes of the LZR RACER will be available for men and women, retailing between $290 and $550. Petratax already has orders through 2012, the year a new swimsuit - which is also being prepared by the Portuguese - is expected to be presented just in time for the London Summer Olympics.
in o jornal.com
