Speedo’s groundbreaking Fastskin® FS-Pro lightweight swim racing suit has been shortlisted for the Lenevo Technological Innovation Award, a major category at the 2008 Sports Industry Awards which take place on 1 May 2008 at London’s Battersea Evolution.

Fastskin® FS-Pro was launched in 2007, advancing from earlier racing suit technology, the original Fastskin® and Fastskin FSII®. Developed in the Speedo Aqualab®, Fastskin® FS-Pro features a new, water repellent fabric which is exclusive to Speedo: LZR Pulse®. This lightweight fabric is woven from chlorine resistant elastane and ultra fine nylon yarn. In tests the suit proved to have the lowest water absorption of woven fabrics currently in use in competition swimwear and was also the quickest drying.

Engineered in 3-D, Fastskin® FS-Pro was designed using data gained from body scanning hundreds of international swimmers. Jude Atkinson, UK Marketing Manager for Speedo, is delighted with the nomination: "This is an excellent result for Speedo," she says. "Our research and development team at the Speedo Aqualab®, has continually pioneered swimwear technology to the highest level and the Fastskin® FS-Pro is truly an advancement of swim garment technology. We take great pride in the intensive research, design and technology employed in the construction of our garments and we are constantly striving to improve the performance of swimmers worldwide."

The nomination for the award called for entries to be driven by technology and demonstrating a genuine benefit to a sport and its competitors. There also needed to be a commercial imperative, as well as effective marketing and branding to promote the technology-driven aspects of the product.

The Fastskin® FS-Pro has been extensively used by the world’s premier swimmers, including US Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps and Australian swim legend, Grant Hackett. Phelps won seven gold medals and broke five world records whilst wearing the Fastskin® FS-Pro suit at the 12th FINA World Championships in Melbourne, April 2007.

Speedo launched its latest evolution of its Fastskin® suit, the Speedo LZR RACER®, at global launches in Sydney, Tokyo, London and New York on 12 February 2008, continuing its mission to be the world’s number one swim brand and to help every swimmer swim their fastest.