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Pictures
Ian Thorpe and the new adidas JETCONCEPT
adidas revolutionized the swimming world in 1998 as the first company to introduce a full bodysuit for swimming. Wearing the suit, Ian Thorpe set numerous World Records and won Olympic and World Championship titles. Working with adidas in the development phase, Thorpe became integral in the evolution of this new form of aquatic “technical equipment.” Thorpe joined the adidas family in 1999.
Close-up of the “riblets”
Ribbed panels extending from the underarm to the lower back and covering the gluteus maximus help channel water over the swimmer’s back to reduce active drag, streamline movement and cut turbulence. The amount of water carried on the swimmer’s back is reduced.
Ian Thorpe testing in the wind tunnel
Intensive testing of the adidas JETCONCEPT was not only done in the swimming pool. The adidas innovation team even put Ian Thorpe in the wind tunnel to get a better view of how the JETCONCEPT influences the flow and to find the optimal position for the technology.
Ian Thorpe in the water
Putting an elite swimmer like Ian Thorpe in a wind tunnel can tell a lot, but adidas need to know much more and they can only learn more by seeing Ian Thorpe in a swimming pool and analyzing his stroke and his swim very precisely.
