US Olympic Track and Field Uniforms Revealed

American track and field athletes will wear uniforms at the 2012 London Summer Olympics that Nike claims will trim as much as 0.023 seconds off 100-meter sprint times. The US Olympic gear was revealed in New York on Thursday. According to their studies, Nike claims that tests indicate a significant difference in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter races. ''We couldn't believe the numbers,'' said Martin Lotti, Nike's Olympics creative director. ''That's not just the difference between first and second place, it's about making the podium.'' After studying the aerodynamics of golf balls, Nike found that the exterior texture made contributed to the performance and efficiency. As the quickest moving body parts, patterned patches were included on the forearm and leg of the uniform. ''The logical thing would have been to make it smoother or use lighter materials, but we challenged ourselves to think differently,'' Lotti said. ''The outfits should be celebratory,'' said Lotti. ''You don't want it to be a standard training outfit. ... It's an opportunity for athletes to shine.'' After soliciting input from athletes and getting to know their personal stories, Lotti said a one-size-fits-all approach wasn't going to cut it for him and his design team for the London Games this summer. ''It not how things are anymore,'' he said.