The seaside city will host 18 events of the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics

Speedo, the world’s most famous swimwear brand, is relocating its North American headquarters to Long Beach, in advance of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Pentland Brands, the owner of Speedo since the 1990s, is headquartered in London, but has chosen to move its American offices closer to the swimming venues for the upcoming games in a newly renovated 25,000 square foot building called Aero Long Beach, just four miles from the sand.

The seaside city will host 11 Olympic and 7 Paralympic events, including Water Polo, Open Water Swimming and Artistic Swimming, all of which will likely involve athletes garbed in Speedos.

“Our new headquarters will bring our brands and our people closer together in the heart of a vibrant, dynamic city,” Pentland president Joel Harris said in a statement. “As we look ahead to the LA28 Olympic Games, we’re excited to be part of Long Beach’s future and to support the incredible energy and opportunity that the Olympics will bring to this region.”

Speedo FastskinCredit: Photo by PortraitSpecialist

American swimmers were scandalized when they first laid eyes on a Speedo. “It makes me want to get out of the water and get a towel around me real quick,” Olympic athlete Melissa Belote told the Los Angeles Times in 1974. “I’m still a little self-conscious…and so are a lot of the girls.” But soon, the form-fitting swimsuits would become the uniform of professional water athletes the world over.

Australians had been fond of the form-fitting suits since the first-ever non-wool suit debuted on Bondi Beach in 1928. The silk suits debuted in Los Angeles at the 1932 Olympic Games, and by the 1950s were being made of Nylon. The first Spandex suits appeared in the 1970s, and the company’s gear continued to be worn by record-setting swimmers around the globe. Today, the company brand also appears on footwear, swim goggles, watches, sunglasses and swimfins.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Pentland to Long Beach,” Mayor Rex Richardson shared. “Their presence reinforces our city’s position as a premier destination for innovative companies and reflects the momentum we’re building as we prepare to host Olympic and Paralympic events in 2028.”