Oregon daily emerald., September 22, 2000, Page 6, Image 29

Olympic Leaps in Technology
Advances in technology are changing the way the Games are played and watched.
By Christine Junge
Technology affecting everything from
computer speed to genetic engineer
ing has taken Olympic-sized leaps
and bounds in the last few years, and the
behind-the-scenes equipment for this
summer’s games is no exception. The
clothes the athletes wear, how viewers
The clothes the athletes wear, how
viewers watch events, and the uery
torch that marks the beginning of the
Games haue been all but revolutionized.
watch events, and the very torch that
marks the beginning of the games have
been all but revolutionized.
Believe it or not, what athletes wear has
more to do with scientific research than the
ebb and flow of fashion. For example, this
year’s male swimmers won’t be sporting the
usual bikini briefs (much to the chagrin of
some female spectators). The new Fastskin
swimsuit, which has tiny V-shaped ridges to
mimic the skin of sharks—said to help
water pass over the swimmers more effi
ciently—covers the swimmer from neck to
ankle. It’s also been reported to help com
press athletes’ muscles, thereby reducing
fatigue and lactic acid levels. The seams
provide tension that imitate the body’s ten
dons; since the suits are created
individually to match up with a
swimmer’s muscles, Speedo is claim
ing that times could be improved by
3 percent. Jenny Thompson, of the
U.S. swim team, agrees.
“I really like the new suit. I have
a personally fitted one, so I feel fortunate.
It fits me perfectly. It’s sleeker and more
streamlined, and has much less suit-to
skin transition."
Runners are not far behind in the race
for new and improved athletic wear. Some
will be trying out a full-length, hooded
body suit to combat the cool weather
expected in Sydney. And on the shoe front,
adidas-owned technology (adidas.com)
U.S. Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe sports adidas’ new EQUIPMENT
Bodysuit, which reportedly helps athletes use energy more efficiently.
helps reduce vibrations in run
ners’ legs, increasing muscle
performance. Adidas realized
that continued insertion and
extraction of traditional track
spikes were a waste of athlete’s
energy, so their new spike
grips the track rather than
penetrating it.
For those of us not sport
ing any athletic wear at the
Games this fall, new technolo
gy has been in the works to
make watching the events a
more interactive—if not an
up-to-the-minute—experi
ence. Video highlights will be
shown on NBC’s web site
(nbcoiympics.com), but com
plications with broadcasting
rights means that there won’t
be any live web casts of events.
The official web site of the
Olympics, olympics.com, has
athlete biographies, competi
tion schedules and information
on participating countries. This
is the first year a site was
declared the official site of the
Olympics, and officials are pre
The new Olympic torch is designed to withstand
wind and rain—and it’s environmentally friendly too.
Matt Turner/AIIsport
dieting it will break records in terms of the
number of visitors. Other sites, including
ibm.com/fanmail, will allow fans to send
messages to athletes.
Even the Olympic torch is technologi
cally advanced, in an attempt to avoid the
blow-outs that occurred during the torch
run before the 1996 Summer Olympic
Games in Atlanta. A collaboration
between the Australian-based Adelaide
University's mechanical and chemical
engineering departments, and a fuel and
combustion firm, produced a new, weath
erproof torch. The supposedly wind and
rain immune flame is environmentally
friendly as well.
So technology will change the summer
Olympics even before they start. Let the
Games begin! •
JOBTRHK Poll
Over 50 percent of students expect to
be millionaires by the time they turn 40.
More than 2,000 college students and
recent graduates responded to the ques
tion, "How old will you be when you make
your first million?" Here’s what they said:
Under 30 25%
Between 30 and 40 27%
Between 40 and 50 13%
Over 50 6%
Never 29%
Source: JobTrak.com