Australia begins to establish its own identity, and swim culture makes a splash. MacRae invents racing swimwear, and Swede Arne Borg breaks a world record in it.  Our very first slogan ‘Speed on in your Speedos’ establishes the will to win, and the Speedo Racerback cossie isn’t the only figure-hugging going on, with men and women now allowed to bathe together at Australia’s sun-kissed beaches, lakes and rivers.

At the ’32 Olympics in LA, Clare Dennis became the second ever Australian woman to win Olympic gold and she sets a new Olympic and world record in the process. Plus, she does it wearing Speedo. Outraged moralists criticise her suit for exposing ‘too much shoulder blade’ but Dennis shrugs it off like a champion. At the ‘36 Berlin Olympics it’s the boys’ turn to turns some heads, with at least one bare chest and the radical new Speedo ‘swim shorts’ intimidating the competition. 

By the 1950s, we took freedom to new levels and introduced the men’s swim brief. Lighter, closer-fitting, built to reduce drag and move with the body. It was designed for performance, but it didn’t stay in the lane for long. The silhouette stood out. People noticed. Over time, it became one of the most recognisable looks in swimming. Eventually, it picked up a nickname: the budgie smuggler. Not subtle. Never meant to be. 

At the ‘56 Olympics in Melbourne the entire Australian swim squad wear Speedo, sweeping the board and taking home eight gold medals. Coincidence? No comment, but the whole world wakes up to Speedo on their tiny television screens, and those lucky enough to have colour see green and gold, in Speedo, in command of the world stage. 

The next years go by fast, for Speedo swimsuits and the people inside them. It’s a blur of numbers. At the ‘68 Mexico Olympics 44 countries are wearing Speedo. Of the 29 gold winners, 27 wear Speedo. 22 of the 23 world records are set by swimmers wearing Speedo.  Pausing only to invent the nylon/elastane costumes we know today, it’s back to the Munich Olympics, where 21 out of 22 world records were broken by Speedo wearers, while 52 of 58 nations compete in the brand.  By the ‘76 Montreal Olympics, Speedo is the official swimwear of the Games. The following year, the IOC allows goggles for the first time, so we start making those too. 

By the 1990s, we had moved well beyond the pool. Working with rock legends and photographers like Bryan Adams, Speedo stepped into a broader cultural space - one where athletes and supermodels were captured in the same way: strong, stripped back, built around the body. It felt natural. Swimming has always been about that - movement, form, nothing unnecessary. At the same time, Speedo started showing up in places you wouldn’t expect. In 1993, Flip ‘n Dive Barbie - often called “Speedo Barbie” - brought the Great Aussie Cossie into homes around the world. From Olympic finals to toy shelves, swimming had a different kind of visibility. And we were part of it. 

By now, Speedo is the gold standard for elite swimmers worldwide. We invent the S2000 suit, boasting 15% less drag. Then the revolutionary Aquablade, then the Fastskin, which mimics the hydrodynamics of sharkskin. The gold medals flow. The records tumble.  In 2008, we introduced the Fastskin LZR Racer®. It was engineered to reduce drag, support body position and get more out of every movement in the water. The impact was immediate. At the Beijing Olympics, swimmers wearing our suits dominated. Records fell at a rate the sport hadn’t seen before. For a while, it felt like everything had shifted. Soon after, full-body suits were banned and Speedo stole the headlines once more.