US Runners Ready for Beijing Heat

The U.S. Olympic track and field authorities take competition very seriously, and they find every means to make sure their athletes are well-taken cared of. Just two days before the 2004 Olympic women's marathon in Athens, US Olympic track and field coach Bob Larsen placed several specially designed Nike vests into a walk-in freezer. These vests were the latest inventions in sports technology-- cooling vests designed to lower the body's core temperature to combat the heavy heat that settles during the competitions. These vests were tested and worn by distance running star Deena Kastor and her two American teammates during the competition.


The effects of the vest made a great difference. Kastor had then produced one of the two amazing finishes of Americans, where the bronze medal she won broke the decades-long losing streak of the U.S.A. A week after this serendipitous event, another American runner, Meb Keflezighi wore the vest before the men's marathon, and ended up bagging a silver medal, despite being ranked at the 39th position at the start of the race.


These vests are is the last peace of the broad-scoped and ardently focused athlete's plan that the U.S. had carried out leading to the Athens Olympics. The success of the vests had convinced the U.S. officials were capable of beating the heat far better than most other nations. Of course, they will make use of this special vest again in the upcoming Beijing Olympics, where the temperatures are most likely to exceed 85 degrees, if humidity and the poor air condition are factored in.


There is danger involved when distance races are run in extreme heat, and this is why air conditions and climate are required to be at optimal conditions before proceeding. With the cooling vest incorporated into their athletes, it would seem the the U.S. team has more chances of winning, the worse conditions get. For the U.S. heat and humidity are more relevant to their runner's condition rather than the more pressing pollution.