Not content with signing a multi-year sponsorship agreement with the fastest 14-and-under swimmer in American history, Adidas now wants its wares to propel him through the water even quicker.
Michael Andrew, the aforementioned athlete, was recently joined by Brazil’s Cesar Cielo and U.S.A. six-time Olympic medalist Allison Schmitt in Muller’sches Volksbad in Munich, Germany, to mark the launch of Adizero XVI, the latest line of competitive swimwear products from the sportswear giant.
Adidas worked with biomechanics, physiologists, fabric and pattern experts, as well as a global pool of elite athletes, to create technical swimsuits featuring three advancements: energy optimization (X-tra Energy), intelligent materials (X-tra Flow) and a stroke-specific biometric fit (X-tra Fit).
The suit’s FINA-approved (International Swimming Federation) fabric, bands and compressive fit are specifically engineered to work together to support the swimmer’s “kinetic chain,” the body’s series of interlocking joints, and offer 100 percent recovery. In addition, strategically placed texturing lessens the effects of water turbulence.
And in an industry first, the Adizero XVI features stroke-specific modifications such as bands shaped to support the insweep (the propulsive phase of the arm stroke) to ensure unrestricted movement.
“Elite swimmers know that to create their best race, every millisecond counts. Correct body positioning, water flow and a smooth aerodynamic fit all combine to make the difference between a medal on the world’s stage and disappointment,” Deborah Yeomans, director future for Adidas. “With the Adizero XVI we have deconstructed the swimsuit status quo and rebuilt it to optimize the natural movement of the human body.”
Adizero XVI suits for men and women will be available at adidasswim.com and in select specialty stores around the world beginning in February 2016.