Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the partnership between USA Swimming and Speedo USA, the organizations are creating several recognition activities to commemorate the alliance that began in 1985 following the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Highlighting the promotion is the creation of the “30 Most Influential People in Swimming over the Past 30 Years.” The program will honor contributors who have made a direct and significant impact in the growth of swimming – through new innovations, growing participation in the sport, increasing the reputation of the sport through his/her contributions, shaping the swimming industry or trailblazing a path for the sport to move forward in a way that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
Swimming fans are encouraged to submit nominations through social media by using the #30MostSwimfluential hashtag. Honorees will be selected by a panel consisting of USA Swimming staff, USA Swimming Board of Directors, coaches, industry historians and media. The final list will be announced prior to the Speedo Junior National Championships, July 30 – August 3 in San Antonio.
“The growth of swimming at every stage, from the beginning phases of learning to swim through team swimming and up to the highest peak of gold medal winners, has been bolstered by Speedo USA’s commitment to the sport,” said Chuck Wielgus, USA Swimming executive director. “Many of our sport’s most celebrated moments have come from our partnership with Speedo USA.”
Also part of the anniversary recognition will be exclusive interviews with elite athletes and coaches, a graphical look at the evolution of Speedo swimwear over the last 30 years, displays at Speedo Junior Nationals and Phillips 66 Nationals with items on loan from the International Swimming Hall of Fame and an archive of Speedo-sponsored athletes. Content will be hosted throughout the summer on a special section of the USA Swimming website, www.usaswimming.org/Speedo30, and www.SpeedoUSA.com.
“Speedo USA is proud of our 30-year partnership with USA Swimming,” said Speedo USA President Jim Gerson. “Together we have been able to grow and advance the sport of swimming, support swimmers of all levels and also introduce new swimmers to the water.”
Speedo became the official deck apparel brand of USA Swimming in 1985. Over the 30 years of the partnership, some highlights include:
- Speedo has been title sponsor of the Junior National Championships since 1993
- Speedo Sectionals, a collection of 20-plus regional meets that serves as the first step in the Championship Series progression, was created in 2001
- USA Swimming and Speedo USA launched the inaugural Summer Splash Tour in 2003 to raise awareness of the sport. The Tour visited 100 cities in 100 days, stopping at swim meets, beaches and water parks
- Team USA won 27 medals (11 gold) at 1992 Olympics, 26 medals (13 gold) in 1996, 33 medals (14 gold) in 2000, 28 medals (12 gold) in 2004, 31 medals (12 gold) in 2008 and 31 medals (16 gold) in 2012
- More Olympic gold medals have been won in Speedo swimwear than in any other brand.
In 2014, the organizations commissioned a study to identify the 50 Top Swim Cities in the United States, with Ann Arbor, Michigan, topping the list. The second edition of the 50 Top Swim Cities, presented by Speedo USA, will be unveiled in early July.
Through the partnership with USA Swimming, Speedo USA receives assets such as event entitlement, advertisements in Splash Magazine (a 275,000 circulation bi-monthly publication sent direct to USA Swimming members), commercials on select USA Swimming Championship events, online advertising on www.USASwimming.org, deck signage at select USA Swimming Championship events, VIP hospitality and tickets at competitions and brand recognition and tickets for the annual Golden Goggle Awards.
Speedo USA is also a partner in the SwimToday initiative, a first-of-its-kind marketing collaboration within the swimming industry. It is a joint, industry effort created to promote and grow participation in the sport of swimming. The campaign is supported by a fun, light-hearted advertising campaign which emphasizes the fun side of the sport. It includes social media materials, print posters, digital ads, bag tags, bumper stickers and a “swim cap certificate” to celebrate the achievement of graduating from a learn to swim program into trying a team. The culturally-inclusive campaign materials show that kids of all backgrounds and abilities are invited into the sport.
About USA Swimming
As the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming is a 400,000-member service organization that promotes the culture of swimming by creating opportunities for swimmers and coaches of all backgrounds to participate and advance in the sport through clubs, events and education. Our membership is comprised of swimmers from the age group level to the Olympic Team, as well as coaches and volunteers. USA Swimming is responsible for selecting and training teams for international competition including the Olympic Games, and strives to serve the sport through its core objectives: Build the base, Promote the sport, Achieve competitive success. For more information, visit www.usaswimming.org.
About Speedo
Speedo is the world’s leading swimwear brand. The teams at Speedo USA are passionate about life in and around the water, creating revolutionary new technologies, designs and innovations, and supporting swimming from the grassroots to the elite level. In the 1920’s, Speedo made history with the Racerback, the world’s first non-wool suit. In 2008, Speedo redefined swimwear again with Fastskin LZR RACER, one of the fastest and most technologically advanced swimsuits ever created; 2011 saw Speedo unveil another world first with the Fastskin Racing System – a cap, goggle and suit designed to work together as one. Speedo is owned by Speedo Holdings B.V. and distributed in over 170 countries around the world; in North America and the Caribbean, Speedo is licensed exclusively to Warnaco Swimwear Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of PVH Corp. [NYSE: PVH]. To find out more, visit www.speedousa.com.
Swimming News is courtesy of USA Swimming. Speedo USA is SwimSwam partner.