ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A new device is making quite the splash for swimmers at the Tokyo Olympics this year.

“We invented the iPhone in 1970 versus the payphone,” said David McCagg, founder and CEO of GMX7, creator of the X1Pro. “It’s kind of like a baseball player puts weight on the bat, swings the bat. They get up to the plate and their swing speed is 3-4 times percent quicker.”

That’s the case here too. Athletes can train 3-4 times more quickly when using the X1Pro. 

It’s already used by athletes like Ryan Lochte, Caleb Dressel, and Regan Smith, creating resistance that the swimmer needs to fight against as they swim laps in practice.

Then when they compete without it, they’re like a torpedo.

“It’s the difference between first, and 10th maybe,” said McCagg.

McCagg knows how important that is. He spent a big part of his life in the pool himself.

“I was a former world class swimmer, I won four gold medals in the championship, '78 and '82. And won the Pan Ams in 1979,” said McCagg.

He stepped away from swimming after the ’84 Russian boycott, and stayed away for 38 years, until he walked on a pool deck a few years back and saw the technology he used then had not evolved a bit.

“I’m not an inventor. I’m not someone who has 100 patents. I’m not somebody like that, but it just happened and I guess that meant it was meant to happen,” said McCagg.

Meant to bring him back to his roots in a way he never imagined.

“When you have a world record holder’s dad and coach come up to you and thank you, that’s significant,” said McCagg.

By reigniting his passion for the sport in helping others succeed.

“It reconnected me. It reconnected me into the swimming world. My kids said they’ve never seen my happier,” said McCagg.

He is already looking at what is next for the X1Pro— perhaps offering the device not only to younger athletes soon, but also as a form of physical therapy and exercise for the average person.