Australia’s 12 Olympic sailors who will compete in July’s Olympic games will wear the industry’s first high-performance, neoprene-free wetsuits created by a Sydney small business – sailing apparel company Zhik.
Made from sustainable, plant-based Yulex rubber, Zhilk’s water sports apparel not only offers thermal insulation, comfort and durability but also offers a great deal of sustainability, generating 80 per cent fewer CO2 emissions than conventional neoprene wetsuits.
The fabric is infused with graphene, an advanced nanoscale 2D material that can return up to 20 per cent more body heat, keeping wearers warmer for longer, regulating temperatures during low-intensity activities and aiding the drying process.
Along with the high-performance wetsuits, Zhik will supply all technical on-water kit needed for Australia’s athletes to succeed in their respective campaigns across eight sailing disciplines.
Zhik CEO, sailing champion and multiple Olympic gold medallist Mat Belcher OAM (pictured, right, alongside Olympians Grae Morris and Evie Haseldine, AOC CEO Matt Carroll and the Australian sailing team’s high-performance director Iain Brambell) said the company was thrilled to be named an official supplier for the Australian Olympic Team for the second Games in a row.
“Zhik was first named an Olympic supplier for the Australian sailing team for the Tokyo Games in 2020,” Belcher said. “That year, Will Ryan and I won gold wearing Zhik gear,” Belcher said. “Since then, it’s evolved even more, and the current range sets a new standard for elite eco-conscious water sports attire.”
Sailing events in France will include iQFoil and kiteboarding for the first time in Olympic history. Australian Olympic Committee CEO Matt Carroll said both disciplines require equipment with peak durability.
“Olympians are competing at the highest level and cannot compromise on performance but the AOC is also deeply committed to partnering with suppliers that care about environmental impact,” Carroll said. “Our challenge was to find a kit that ticked both boxes, and we’ve been able to do that with Zhik. It’s a bonus that this innovative gear is cutting edge Australian technology, too.”
Zhik was created in the Sydney garage of Brian Connolly, the founder of Lake Technology which became Dolby Australia. Connolly, a sailing enthusiast, saw an opportunity to revolutionise the industry’s gear and began creating clothing and equipment. He designed solutions for uncomfortable harnesses by adding Velcro entry systems and developing a breathable waterproof fabric four times more waterproof than the market-leading alternatives.
The company now supplies the most successful sailing teams in the world, including six of the ten Sail GP teams, winners of the Volvo Ocean and Sydney to Hobart races, and the Olympic sailing teams of Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Denmark.
