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October 15, 1998

SECTION: Pg. 10; ISSN: 0149-5380

IAC-ACC-NO: 53097778

LENGTH: 927 words

HEADLINE: ADIDAS HAS SWIMWEAR COVERED.

BYLINE: Feitelberg, Rosemary

BODY:
NEW YORK -- Adidas is entering the U.S. swimwear market with an unusually bold stroke: a full-length bodysuit.

Called the Equipment Bodysuit, the long-sleeved, ankle-length suit is part of Adidas's new swimwear line, which is being launched in the U.S. market in June. Having sold its women's swimwear in Europe for 14 years, this will mark the company's debut in the U.S.

The Equipment name refers to Adidas's most innovative, performance-oriented products.

Knowing the competitive swimwear market in the U.S. is driven by technology and dominated by Speedo, TYR and Nike, in that order, Adidas held off on entering the market until its research and development was more advanced, said Greg Clarke, product line manager for swimwear.

"This is the first time we felt we had something to offer the U.S. market that isn't there," he said. "Until we started developing the bodysuit two years ago, we didn't think it was up to the level of the U.S. market."

Certified by DuPont as a Lycra Power garment, the bodysuit is designed to reduce muscle fatigue and improve the accuracy of movement by 12 percent. Following a five-year study at Penn State University's Center for Sports Medicine, DuPont developed Lycra Power standards for fabric mills and activewear manufacturers. The criteria measure levels of recovery and force, stretch, muscle coverage and design construction.

When it was introduced two years ago, Lycra Power was limited to activewear. Last spring, Nike introduced the first Lycra Power certified competitive swimwear.

As part of the product development, 40 swimmers in Canada and England tested the bodysuit. Coated with Teflon, it is designed to allow swimmers to slip through the water faster because it does not retain water, Clarke said.

Adidas unveiled the suit last month to a group of swim coaches and swimmers in Atlanta. The bodysuit is part of Adidas 14-piece swimwear line, which is geared mostly for competitive swimmers. Later this month, retailers will start previewing the swimwear.

The company aims to generate at least $ 2 million in wholesale volume in the first two years, Clarke said.

Females have not competed in full-length swimwear since 1911, when long-distance swimmer Annette Kellerman first sewed stockings to a man's knee-length unitard. In 1906, she was arrested for indecent exposure for swimming in skimpier swimwear, according to Preston Levi, director of the Harold Henning Library at the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Kellerman's design created a fashion "explosion" with women because it allowed them to swim competitively, he added.

"We've gone full circle. We've gone from wearing practically nothing to being fully covered," said Sue Petersen Lubow, the NCAA's secretary and rules editor for swimming and diving.

About four years ago, some swimmers started competing in thigh-length swimsuits. Triathletes wear similar styles, she said.

Several years ago, Speedo tested a full-length swimsuit but was displeased with how it reduced the impact of a swimmer's underwater stroke and kick, said Stuart Isaac, the company's vice president of team sales and sports promotions, who coached the University of Michigan's swim team for nearly a decade.

"It's like putting grease on the bottom of running shoes," Isaac said.

Speedo, however, developed a thigh-length swimsuit in 1994.

Nike's thigh-length, Lycra Power certified style is used primarily for training, said a spokeswoman for the company.

Adidas is waiting for the NCAA to confirm that its bodysuit adheres to uniform guidelines, Clarke said. After seeing a photo of the suit, Olympic gold medal swimmer Donna de Varona said it doesn't seem to violate any rules.

There is nothing that should prohibit swimmers from wearing the suit, according to David Rosen, vice president of marketing at TYR.

"I love how it looks; it's very hot. It reminds me of what they wear for downhill skiing and speed skating," he said. "To get a major label like Adidas in swimming is great."

Despite his enthusiasm, Rosen has a few concerns.

Knowing that "downsizing" -- competing in a suit four or five sizes smaller than the appropriate size -- is a common practice among swimmers, Rosen questioned how swimmers would do that in an Adidas bodysuit without restricting movement.

Water trapping during starts and flip turns could also pose a problem, he said.

Accustomed to spending up to $ 80 for a performance-oriented swimsuit, competitive swimmers might balk at the bodysuit's $ 130 price tag, Rosen said.

Levi of the International Swimming Hall of Fame said the Adidas bodysuit should be "a tempting alternative" to shaving down for swimmers. To feel more buoyant in the water, female competitive swimmers shave their arms, legs, backs, hands and feet for major swim meets.

"There's a lot of psychology in swimming," de Varona said. "It doesn't matter if it is psychological, because that can affect a swimmer's performance."

Speedo offers Lycra Power swimwear in its triathlon group, but has no plans to introduce Lycra Power items in its competitive swimwear. Through its research with athletes at Penn State University, DuPont proved its effectiveness with nonswimmers, Isaac noted.

Despite his skepticism about the benefits of the Adidas bodysuit, Isaac said he expects the hoopla to generate interest in competitive swimwear.

"Any time new ideas come out and focus attention on technical swimwear," he said, "that always has a positive impact on the market and us."

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

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