I. Overview

Born on Bondi Beach near Sydney, Australia in 1928, Speedo® is the world's top-selling swimwear brand. The brand's heritage derives from its leadership in competitive swimming, where more Olympic Gold Medals have been won in Speedo than any other brand.

World Champion Michael Phelps is among the elite athletes wearing Speedo; Phelps wore Speedo as he made history in Beijing, winning eight gold medals and rewriting the record books. Phelps' belief in Speedo's history of innovation and the Speedo Aqualab is shared by fellow Team Speedo stars Natalie Coughlin, Ryan Lochte and Katie Hoff.

Building on its authentic base, the Speedo product line has expanded over the years. Now sold in more than 170 countries around the world, Speedo's product line includes women's fashion and fitness swimwear, men's water shorts, kid's swimwear, footwear, and a comprehensive collection of aquatic fitness equipment. For more information, visit www.speedousa.com.

II. History

Born on Bondi Beach near Sydney, Australia in 1928, Speedo is the world's top-selling swimwear brand. The brand's history of innovation began that year, as Speedo introduced the Racerback suit - the world's first non-wool suit allowing greater freedom of motion. Soon after, Swedish swimmer Arne Borg set a world record in Speedo swimwear, establishing the brand in the hearts and minds of swimmers and the general public.

From the first racerback in the 1920's, Speedo has been behind many of the major innovations in swimwear. In the 1950's the brand created its first watershort and launched it's first-ever suit made of Nylon. In the 1970's, Speedo became the first company to produce swimwear made of Nylon / Elastane. Speedo introduced Endurance, the world's first chlorine resistant fabric, in 1994. In 2000, Speedo launched the revolutionary Fastskin® swimsuit inspired by shark's skin. In 2008, Speedo launched the LZR Racer®, in which the world's best swimmers - led by Michael Phelps - rewrote the record books. Today, Speedo's new LZR Racer Elite line of suits is being worn by Phelps and fellow Team Speedo stars Natalie Coughlin, Ryan Lochte and Katie Hoff.

Speedo's rich Olympic history dates back to 1932 when Claire Dennis of Australia won gold in Speedo at the Los Angeles Olympic Games. In 1956 at the Melbourne Olympic Games, Speedo sponsored the entire Australian swim team, transforming Speedo into a world famous brand. In Mexico at the 1968 Games, 27 of 29 gold medalists wore Speedo. At the 1972 Munich Olympics, 21 out of 22 world records were set by athletes wearing Speedo. In Barcelona in 1992, 53% of all swimming medals at the Games were won by athletes wearing Speedo; that number was surpassed in 1996 as 77% of all swimming medals were won by swimmers in Speedo at the Atlanta Olympics. In 2004, Michael Phelps made history by becoming the first ever swimmer to win eight medals at the Olympics, including six gold and two bronze, all while wearing Speedo. Then, in 2008, Phelps, in the greatest swimming performance of all-time, made history again as he won an unprecedented eight gold medals in Beijing.

III. Champions

In 1932, Swede Arne Borg became the first swimmer to earn an Olympic Gold Medal in a Speedo suit. Today, more than 80 years later, more Olympic Gold Medals have been won in Speedo than any other brand.

Supporting the sport of swimming and its athletes, coaches and teams has always been paramount to Speedo. The brand was the first to sign a swimmer to an endorsement contract - Olympic gold medalist Donna de Varona, in the 1960's. Since then, the top names in swimming have competed in Speedo, including John Naber, Janet Evans, Summer Sanders, Lenny Krayzelburg, Jenny Thompson and many more.

The current decade of swimming has been dominated by Michael Phelps. A Team Speedo star since 2001, Phelps' relationship with Speedo goes beyond a traditional endorsement contract. Phelps used the $1 million bonus he earned from Speedo for his record medal haul in Beijing to start the Michael Phelps Foundation, a charitable organization committed to growing the sport of swimming.

Today, the top swimmers in the U.S. - and the world - join Phelps as part of Team Speedo, including Natalie Coughlin, Ryan Lochte and Katie Hoff.

IV. Target

Speedo uses the most advanced materials and designs to allow everyone - from Olympic Gold Medalists to children learning to swim - to reach their goals with speed.

V. Product Features

Everything Speedo creates is an expression of form dictated by function. Every detail, every line, every color has a purpose. Among the most recent developments are:

• The Speedo LZR Racer® Elite line of speedsuits, featuring Speedo's lightweight and powerful LZR Pulse fabric, unique 3D pattern and fully bonded seams
• Speedo Endurance+, the 100% chlorine resistant fabric that lasts 20-times longer than spandex fabric and fits the body like a glove with its Four-Way Stretch fabric technology
• Speedo Biofuse® goggles, engineered to perform in harmony with the human body through the bonding of structure and flexibility
• The Air Seal XR goggle, the most comfortable high-performance goggle ever made
• Born from the LZR Racer technology, the new Speedo Core Stabilizer, featured in select suits in the women's 2010 line, features fabric that provides optimum shape and core stability
• The new Speedo Hydro Bra, featured in many of Speedo's new 2010 women's suits, provides an athletic fit with added support for long-lasting comfort
• Speedry®, featured in the brand's line of watershorts and boardshorts, water repellent fabric that dries twice as fast
• HydroTread®, a new lightweight rubber compound featured in Speedo's footwear line that provides the ultimate pool deck traction

V. Distribution

In North America, Speedo is sold in more than 11,000 stores encompassing all distribution channels. It also operates an ecommerce site, www.speedousa.com. As the most distributed swimwear brand in the world, Speedo is able to serve different customer needs in different selling environments.

VI. Innovation

Speedo's future innovation is developed in the Aqualab, the brand's top secret development facility. Aided by the world's champion athletes and coaches, Speedo's multi-national team of researchers conducts revolutionary projects that aim to solve the challenges of the body in motion.

The Fastskin family of elite speedsuits was recognized by the Smithsonian Institute for advanced technology.

The experts in the Speedo Aqualab worked with NASA to develop the Speedo LZR Racer, which debuted in 2008. The Speedo LZR Racer was named as one of the best inventions of the year in 2008 by TIME Magazine and one of the most innovative products of the year in 208 by Popular Science Magazine. The LZR Racer also took home an Edison Award in 2008 for its design and innovation.

VII. Marketing

Speedo is among the most recognized brands on the planet, largely because of its innovative products and extensive marketing efforts.

Speedo is a proud sponsor of the world's best Olympic athletes in swimming, including Michael Phelps, Natalie Coughlin, Ryan Lochte and Katie Hoff.

Speedo is also the official outfitter for USA Swimming through 2012.

The brand's marketing efforts extend into the fashion world, with national print and digital campaigns shot by world famous photographers such as Michael Thompson and Michael Muller.

VIII. Events

For a complete schedule of national and international swimming events, visit www.usaswimming.org.

For updated information on Speedo events and news, visit www.speedousa.com, the brand's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/speedousa and via Twitter at http://twitter.com/speedousa.