Beijing Games 2008 -- Game For The Games
By: Hundredths of a Second: Swimsuit Tech
Swimmer Amanda Weir won two silver medals in Athens. But she’s turning to specialty athletic gear maker Tyr and its streamlined bodysuit to help her get the gold in Beijing.
“My races come down to hundredths of a second, which is faster than you can blink,” she told CNBC’s Darren Rovell. “It’s the icing on the cake to get that advantage.”
Tyr’s advanced-technology swimsuit has a special structure that strategically compresses the blood within muscle tissue, maximizing the power return, Rovell reports. When it’s released to the market, it will fetch $300 to $400 “from competitive swimmers all across America,” he said.
Rovell adds there is a hoped-for quid pro quo: If Weir makes a major splash in Beijing, then Tyr may gain the higher brand profile of Warnaco Group's Speedo (worn by gold medalist Michael Phelps) and Nike (endorsed by swimmer Brandon Hanson).