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The Swift Revolution Continues
BEAVERTON, Ore., Dec. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Its fury on ice.
Short track speedskatings intense close-quarter competition is a blaze of
human movement. The sport has undergone intense governing-body scrutiny to
address major safety concerns for personal protection. The International
Skating Union (ISU) has imposed stringent cut-resistance standards, creating
rigorous challenges for compliance.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051208/SFTH110-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051208/SFTH110-b
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990818/NIKELOGO )
Nike has integrated superior innovation and weight reduction to meet those
standards with the Nike Swift Short Track Skin, one more component of Nikes
successful Project Swift initiative, led by Nikes Advanced Innovation Team,
to develop high-performance athletic apparel for athletes worldwide. USA
Speedskatings short track teams will compete in the Nike Swift Short Track
Skin at the XX Olympic Winter Games in 2006.
Nike is a proud sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team and USA Speedskating.
Short Track Speed Skating
After the Salt Lake City Games, the only cut-protection option for skaters
was to wear two garments -- an outer suit and an inner cut-resistant suit.
Protective, but heavier and much less comfortable. The Nike Swift Short Track
Skin is a one-suit system utilizing lightweight cut-protective fabric
(independent-laboratory approved) in critical body zones. Anatomically
specific integration of the cut-protection material is located in critical
areas specified by the ISU.
Each cut-resistant panel incorporated into the Nike Swift Skin suit uses a
particular construction technique based on anatomical location. Behind the
knee, fabric layers are minimized to accommodate the high degree of flexion
necessary allowing the athletes to perform, unrestricted, to their highest
level. The lower torso and upper leg zones utilize a separate, slightly
larger, built-in short to accommodate the high degree of flexion at the torso
without affecting the ability of the outer layer to conform to the body.
With lighter materials, an innovative new pattern, and total cut-suit
integration, the suit meets rigid skating requirements, and weighs half of the
previous combination of Nike Swift Skin and cut protective suits.
In Position
With these tight clusters of lightning-fast skaters, theres less concern
about aerodynamics, and more focus on strategy. The Swift Skin is smooth and
fits close to the body to better combat the air turbulence in these compact
groups.
The Swift Skin was designed for two body positions. The upright position,
which the athlete is more often in when not on the ice, demands more comfort.
The suit is often worn for extended periods of time throughout a competition
day. The athlete must also relax at the starting line while in an upright
position immediately prior to taking the starting position.
Articulation gussets have been built into the suit to relieve the tension
found in those specific body zones. The use of gussets minimizes bulk and
wrinkles in areas where flexion occurs, while still allowing for enough
stretch in the extended position. Skaters race in a bent over position. It is
the most critical since the skaters success relies on the ability to maintain
race-winning form and technique while bent over at the waist. The suit is
primarily cut with the skating position in mind. This articulated fit provides
the highest degree of unrestricted movement to the athlete while skating.
The Nike Swift Short Track Speedskating Skin will be found on national
teams from The Netherlands, China, United States and South Korea during the
2005-2006 season, and each features strong country color designs and
iconography.
Nikes 35-member worldwide Advanced Innovation Team has conducted
extensive research to produce superior apparel performance and design, helping
world-class athletes achieve 57 Olympic medals (17 in Athens alone), 17 world
records, 11 Tour de France stage victories and overall increased athletic
performance in a variety of sport disciplines since the programs inception in
2000.
About Nike, Inc.
NIKE, Inc. based in Beaverton, Oregon is the worlds leading designer,
marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment
and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly
owned Nike subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and
distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Bauer NIKE Hockey
Inc., a leading designer and distributor of hockey equipment; Cole Haan (R),
which designs, markets, and distributes fine dress and casual shoes and
accessories; Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes
action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories and Exeter
Brands Group LLC, which designs and markets athletic footwear and apparel for
the value retail channel.
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