BULLETIN BOARD

How sharks skin makes you swim faster

Fiona Fairhurst, who led the development of the Speedo Fastskin “Sharks Skin” range of swimming wear, will tell all in her lecture on Thursday 21 October

Fiona was Director of Research and Development for Speedo, and whilst in post developed the Speedo Fastskin models of racing swimsuits. These were used at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and swimmers wearing them scooped the majority of the medals. At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, swimmers wearing the second-generation of the Fastskin suit (which then featured a unique hydrodynamic cut that fits swimmers like a “second skin”) earned a total of 47 medals. Fiona will speak about their development and how studying shark skin gave them a unique insight which influenced the makeup of the material that the suits were subsequently made of.

This lecture will give you the inside track on the technological development of revolutionary sportswear and discuss the role of the performance apparel which caused global controversy within sport.

Olympic Perspectives: Insights into 2012 is a series of free public lectures on Olympic Games themes at the University of Leicester to be held during Academic year 2010/11. The programme has been awarded the “Inspired” mark by the organising committee of the London 2012 Games.

Taking place at 5.30pm in Ken Edwards Lecture Theatre 3. This event is free of charge and open to all. Request your free tickets in advance via sport@le.ac.uk or on the door on the night.

For more information please contact: T: 0116 271 9144