Editing Speedo (section)

== History ==

=== Speedo Knitting Mills ===
[[File:1932 Aus Olympic.jpg|right|thumb|170px|Australian swimmers [[Bonnie Mealing]], [[Clare Dennis]], [[Frances Bult]] with chaperone and sprinters [[Eileen Wearne]] (Aus) and [[Thelma Kench]] (NZ) at the [[1932 Summer Olympics|1932 Los Angeles Olympics]]]]
Company founder [[Alexander MacRae]] emigrated from [[Loch Kishorn]] in the western [[Scottish Highlands|Highlands of Scotland]] to Sydney, Australia in 1910. Originally working as a [[milkman]], he founded ''MacRae and Company Hosiery'' four years later, manufacturing [[underwear]] under the [[brand name]] ''Fortitude'' (taken from his [[family crest]]).<ref name=Speedo3>{{Google books|QqtinbjO0oEC|1001 Australians You Should Know|page=361}}</ref> The [[Australian Army]]'s need for socks during [[World War I]] provided MacRae with enough business to expand and in 1927 his first line of swimwear, called a "racer-back costume" was introduced. The following year, a naming contest held among the MacRae staff yielded the slogan "Speed on in your Speedos." The brand name was born. The contest winner, Captain Parsonson, was awarded £5 for his slogan and the company was renamed ''Speedo Knitting Mills''.<ref name=Speedo3 />

The controversial yet revolutionary [[racerback]] style's open shoulder and exposed back allowed greater range of motion in water and was quickly adopted by [[Swimming (sport)|competitive swimmers]], despite being banned by some beaches.<ref name=Speedo4>{{cite web |url=http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/australia_innovates/?Section_id=1040&article_id=10053&behaviour=view_article |title=Speedo Swimwear |access-date=15 January 2011 |publisher=[[Powerhouse Museum]]|work=Australia Innovates}}</ref> In 1932, Speedo made its Olympic debut when 16-year old Australian [[Clare Dennis]] won the [[Swimming at the Summer Olympics|Women's 200 metre Breaststroke]] at the [[1932 Summer Olympics|Los Angeles Olympic Games]]. After nearly being disqualified for "showing too much shoulder" in her regulation silk Speedo brand swimsuit, Dennis went on to set a world record time of 3:06.3.<ref name=Speedo5>{{Cite Australian Dictionary of Biography |chapter-url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dennis-clara-clare-9951 |first=V.M. |last=Rasjela |title=Clara (Clare) Dennis (1916–1971) |access-date=15 January 2011 |year=1993 |volume=13}}</ref> The [[1936 Berlin Olympics|1936 Berlin Summer Games]] also saw some controversy as the men's Australian swim team featured shirtless swim trunks for the first time. Also in 1936, Alexander MacRae became involved in the [[Surf Life Saving Australia|Surf Life Saving Association]]. To this day, Speedo continues to support the Australian volunteer organisation.<ref name=Speedo6>{{cite web |url=http://explore.speedousa.com/speedo-history/ |title=Speedo History |access-date=15 January 2011 |publisher=Speedo International |work=Explore Speedo |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101225095148/http://explore.speedousa.com/speedo-history/ |archive-date=25 December 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

=== Post-War expansion ===
After devoting most of its resources to the [[War effort]] during [[Australia during World War II|World War II]], Speedo enjoyed a great [[post-war]] demand for swimsuits, specifically the recently invented [[bikini]] style. The company quickly reestablished itself as a leader in swimwear manufacturing and once again drew controversy when its two-piece was banned by Australian beach inspectors.<ref name=Speedo6 /> In 1951, Speedo Knitting Mills (Holdings) Ltd. [[Corporation|incorporated]] and [[Initial public offering|went public]], selling its stock on the [[Australian Securities Exchange|Sydney Stock Exchange]].<ref name=Speedo6 /> In 1955, nylon was used for the first time in the company's swimsuits<ref name=Speedo7>{{cite web |url=http://www.convictcreations.com/culture/inventions.htm |title=The Inventive Australian Mind |access-date=16 January 2011 |work=ConvictCreations.Com |archive-date=15 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101215005215/http://convictcreations.com/culture/inventions.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the next year, the increasingly popular swimsuit brand returned to the Olympics when its home country hosted the [[1956 Summer Olympics|Melbourne Summer Games]].<ref name=Speedo3 /> The Speedo sponsored [[Australia at the 1956 Summer Olympics|Australian men's swim team]] took home eight [[gold medal]]s<ref name="sports-reference">{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/AUS/summer/1956/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417044353/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/AUS/summer/1956/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Australia at the 1956 Melbourne Summer Games |access-date=12 October 2010 |work=sports-reference.com}}</ref> and brought a new worldwide level of notoriety to the company which debuted the [[swim briefs]] that would become synonymous with the brand name. By 1957, Speedo had the exclusive licence to manufacture and distribute [[Jockey International|Jockey]] brand men's underwear in Australia.<ref name=Speedo9>{{cite news |title=Australia's Finest Sportswear |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lXhWAAAAIBAJ&dq=speedo%20knitting%20mills&pg=1072%2C5251610 |newspaper=[[Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=25 February 1957 |access-date=17 January 2011}}</ref> The company finished off the 1950s by exporting to the United States and exploring potential opportunities in South America, Europe, New Zealand and Japan.<ref name=Speedo6 />

The end of the 1950s also saw the beginning of a long-lasting business partnership which continues to this day. In 1958, Speedo began the manufacture of American [[Warnaco Group|Warnaco's]] [[White Stag (clothing)|White Stag]] ski-wear line. In exchange, in 1961, White Stag became the exclusive US distributor of Speedo swimwear. Through White Stag, Speedo's product line expanded to include men's and women's sportswear.<ref name=Speedo10>{{cite news |title=Profits |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gIVWAAAAIBAJ&dq=speedo&pg=2816%2C6331813 |newspaper= Sydney Morning Herald |date=17 April 1970 |access-date=17 January 2011}}</ref> By the middle of the 1960s, Speedo had acquired 30% of [[Nottingham]], England textile manufacturer Robert Shaw & Company and had established a European subsidiary. Licences were also granted to Japanese and South American corporations.<ref name=Speedo6 /> The [[1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics]] saw 27 of the 29 gold medalists—22 of which set world records—wearing Speedo brand swimsuits.<ref name=Speedo6 />

Speedo began the next decade by completing its acquisition of Robert Shaw & Company in 1971.<ref name=Speedo8>{{Google books|T1fgAAAAMAAJ|Costume: the journal of The Costume Society, Volume 1; Volume 35; Volume 24|page=80}}</ref> The 1970s also saw the company pioneer the use of [[spandex|elastane (spandex)]] and the brand's use in Olympic record breaking continued at the [[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Munich]] and [[1976 Summer Olympics|1976 Montreal]] games, the latter of which Speedo was an official swimwear licensee.<ref name=Speedo6 />

On [[Australia Day]], 26 January 1981 the [[Australian Institute of Sport]] opened in [[Canberra]], with Speedo as its first official sponsor.<ref name=Speedo6 /> Also early in the decade, Speedo provided equipment and training to China<ref name=Speedo6 /> to aid the communist country's return to the Olympics for first time since 1958.<ref name="China Olympism">{{cite journal |journal=Olympic Review |publisher=[[International Olympic Committee]] |editor=Monique Berlioux |issue=190–191 |date=August–September 1983 |title=China and Olympism |pages=583–592 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1983/ore190/ORE190za.pdf |access-date=13 August 2008}}</ref> Throughout the decade, the brand expanded its reach in Europe by licensing production in Italy, Spain, Sweden and other nations, bringing its total distribution to 112 countries.<ref name=Speedo6 />

=== Modern technology ===
In 1990, British sportswear firm [[Pentland Group]], which had just sold its shares of sneaker company [[Reebok]], acquired a significant stake in Warnaco offshoot Authentic Fitness, which was the exclusive North American licensee of Speedo. Pentland followed this move with the purchase of 80% of Speedo (Europe) Ltd. Early the next year, Pentland completed its aggressive entrance into the global swimwear market by wholly acquiring Speedo Australia and Speedo International.<ref name=Speedo11>{{cite web |url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Pentland-Group-plc-Company-History.html |title=Pentland Group Plc – Company History |access-date=16 January 2011 |work=Funding Universe}}</ref> Under Pentland's ownership, Speedo expanded its line of swimwear to include more fashion-oriented beachwear as well as [[triathlon]] accessories.

[[File:Unveiling of LZR Racer in NYC 2008-02-13.jpg|right|thumb|upright|Michael Phelps (centre) unveils the Speedo [[LZR Racer]] suit.]]
The 1990s saw the creation of the low-drag S2000 suit, the [[chlorine]] resistant Endurance line as well as the Aquablade series which was worn by more than three-fourths of medal winners at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games.<ref name=Speedo6 />

Speedo began the 21st century with the introduction of its Fastskin swimsuit and, again, broke world records when the Summer Games returned to the swimwear leader's home town. The company website boasts that 13 out of the 15 swimming records broken in the [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney Olympics]] were by athletes wearing Speedo.<ref name="Distillations">{{cite journal|last1=Roberts|first1=Jacob |title=Winning Skin |journal=Distillations |date=2017|volume=2|issue=4|pages=8–15|url=https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/magazine/winning-skin|access-date=22 March 2018}}</ref> Three years later, Speedo celebrated its 75th anniversary with special limited edition lines endorsed by [[Jerry Hall]], [[Naomi Campbell]] and others. In 2004, [[Michael Phelps]] wore the Fastskin II, the latest evolution of the Fastskin series,<ref name=Speedo6 /> in [[2004 Summer Olympics|Athens]] to become the first swimmer to earn eight medals.<ref name="Distillations"/><ref name=phelps>{{cite web |url=http://swimming.teamusa.org/athletes/michael-phelps |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100604053902/http://swimming.teamusa.org/athletes/michael-phelps |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 June 2010 |title=Michael Phelps {{!}} Athletes {{!}} USA Swimming |access-date=19 January 2011 |publisher=United States Olympic Committee |work=Team USA}}</ref> Phelps followed up this performance four years later, earning eight golds<ref name=phelps /> at [[2008 Summer Olympics|Beijing]], while wearing Speedo's LZR Racer suit<ref name=Speedo6 /><ref name="Distillations"/> In 2010, the company launched Speedo Sculpture ShapeLine, a new line of body-shaping swimsuits for women.<ref name="shape">{{cite press release |title= Speedo Launches Shapeline – Swimwear Made By Real Women For Real Women|url= http://www.prlog.org/10553698-speedo-launches-shapeline-swimwear-made-by-real-women-for-real-women.pdf|publisher= Speedo|date= 1 March 2010|access-date=18 January 2011}}</ref>