The Science of Speed

Suit Up

The Swift Suit:  Nike

Back in 2000, Nike figured out that skin is slow and launched the original Swift track suit in Sydney. For Beijing, the latest iteration claims a seven percent decrease in drag compared to that worn in Athens. Good data for the fluid dynamics model you’re working on but sprinters are more impressed by the .02 seconds Nike claims that savings converts to over 100 meters. That’s about how much the world record normally gets broken by. This is also the first time Nike is offering this suit in pieces (sleeves, singlet, socks) for athletes who feel confined by the full suit. The gloves have a dimpled fabric to cut through the air quicker (think golf balls) while the yarn is all recycled polyester salvaged from soda bottles and other scrap. Engineers even developed a new method for integrating graphics onto mesh panels intended for cooling that uses half as much yarn; this allows for more art on the suit without sacrificing performance. Think Nike might have a symbol in mind?

Pistol Whip

So much for the speed of sound. Data reported in the June issue of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise says sprinters located closer to the start gun get out of the blocks 15 milliseconds slower than their competitors. When the intensity of the gun was increased from 80 decibels to 120 db there was a 10 ms decrease in response time as well. While we’re on the subject, isn’t the starting gun a bit outdated? How about some form of beep that comes out of each start block? Maybe it could sing the NBC Olympic theme or the national anthem of the host country?