NEW YORK -- When seconds count, the right clothing matters.For the Rio Olympics, Nike used 3-D printing technology to develop small silicone protrusions for redirecting air flow around the runner. Body scanners helped Adidas design suits to keep swimmers in ideal form. Swiss cycling specialist Assos turned to wind tunnels to craft custom, form-fitting suits for the U.S. cycling team.Innovations in suits and shoes have sped up, thanks to advancements in how clothing is designed and tested -- all as manufacturers get creative in working around rules enacted to prevent the apparel equivalent of doping.We make sure we stay inside those rules, but we will get to the very edge of them if we can, said Adam Clement, senior creative director for team sports at Under Armour. Our goal is to innovate in a way that ultimately makes the Olympic rules change. Well adjust, but well feel proud of that accomplishment.---WHY IT MATTERSClothing needs to be form-fitting to minimize air resistance, especially for speed events in cycling, swimming and track.Four seconds in four kilometers is (the difference between) first and eighth place, said Jim Miller, vice president of athletics with USA Cycling.But the wrong materials or designs could mean discomfort and unnecessary weight -- counteracting the gains from drag reduction.Even when speed isnt a factor, clothing promises to reduce irritations such as sweat and heat -- crucial in a hot climate like Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the Summer Olympics open on Friday.---PREVENTING PROBLEMSClothing alone wont make up for years of training, good coaching and the right body mechanics, but the wrong kind can hurt.Youre not going to catch magic on race day from magic shoes, U.S. marathoner Desiree Linden said in an interview. But if I train really hard and I get a blister or dont step on my foot right, the race doesnt matter anymore.A late introduction of Under Armours high-tech suit for speedskating got some of the blame for the U.S. teams dismal performance two years ago in Sochi, Russia. UA said it is already testing suits for 2018 and will try to get them to competitors sooner, with more customization for individual body types.For Rio, U.S. cyclists got their Assos suits just two weeks ago and will have the option of wearing their regular outfits if they dont like the fit.---THE OUTFITSAthletes typically get clothing and shoes as part of brand-sponsorship deals.Running specialist Brooks turned to Linden to help design her Hyperion shoes. The shoe fabric eliminates seams to reduce the risk of blisters, while rubber rings on the bottom boost traction in slippery terrains and serve as barriers to contain and propel energy back up, according to the company.It feels like you do get a spring, Linden said. Theres no wasted energy. Its going right back into you. It feels fast.Brooks started selling the shoes in June, though Linden and other Olympians will get extra laser perforations in their shoes for ventilation in Rios heat.Under Armour uniforms for the Canadian rugby and the Swiss and Dutch beach volleyball teams borrow NASA spacesuit technology to reduce body temperature. The insides have crystal-pattern sheets to absorb heat from the body.As for Nikes air-resistance protrusions, the company is embedding them in track suits for about two dozen teams, including the U.S., Brazil, China and Germany. Nike will also make the protrusions available as a tape for runners to stick on their arms and legs.---THE BOUNDARIESSwimming has among the toughest guidelines after Speedos suits propelled Michael Phelps and other swimmers to medals and records at the 2008 Olympics. Their full-body suits -- which are no longer permitted -- were developed with NASA to boost buoyancy and reduce drag.Clothing makers can still innovate; they just have to be creative. Michelle Miller, Nikes apparel concept director, said figuring out how is one of my favorite parts of the design process.Adidas Adizero XVI swimsuits for Britains Chris Walker-Hebborn and other swimmers have elastic-like bands meant to keep bodies in streamlined positions. That minimizes drag and propels swimmers in the pool. Because the rules allow Adidas to place the bands only over seams where pieces of fabric meet, Adidas moved the seams over to where it wanted the bands to be.Now that it had bands, Adidas also took the unusual step of designing a model just for the breaststroke to account for the way a swimmers legs move outward in the frog kick, rather than up and down in the more traditional flutter kick.---IN THE LABSOmar Visentin, chief operating officer and former research chief at Assos, said clothing manufacturers now have more sophisticated ways to tests fabrics and the way they are cut and measure minute differences in performance.Other companies even use computer modeling to design that perfect suit with fewer prototypes, said Ajoy Sarkar, a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology.For the Vazee Sigma track shoes that U.S. sprinter Trayvon Bromell will wear, New Balance turned to 3-D printing technology to test multiple configurations to improve traction and energy transfer.Nike also used 3-D printing and wind tunnels to improve its air-resistance protrusions, which worked only for sprints during the 2012 Olympics. Miller said prototypes from 3-D printing allowed Nike to find a shape that works for longer distances, too.Adidas designed its Adizero MD mid-distance shoes to account for curvatures in the track, rather than just the straightaway portions of races. It tested various combinations of stiffness and thinness to keep runners like Kenyas David Rudisha stabilized so they dont slow down at curves.Adidas director of future, Deborah Yeomans, said engineers are already at work on designs for 10 years from now -- when expectations will be even higher. Cheap NBA Jerseys . Haas said he "felt a lot of pain" in his right shoulder when he slammed his racket to the ground in frustration after losing his serve at 3-3 in the first set. Wholesale Bulls Jerseys . 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United chose the defender in the second round of the 2013 MLS re-entry draft.GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers may be forced to shuffle their renovated offensive line after starting left tackle Bryan Bulaga reportedly suffered a season-ending knee injury during a weekend scrimmage. Just three months ago, coach Mike McCarthy moved Bulaga from right tackle to left tackle, Pro Bowl guard Josh Sitton from right guard to left guard, T.J. Lang from left guard to right guard and Marshall Newhouse, who started 28 games the past two seasons at left tackle, to right tackle. McCarthy has said he moved Sitton to left guard to put the teams two best offensive linemen together on the same side of the line, protecting quarterback Aaron Rodgers blind side. Sitton and Bulaga had also played next to one another since the 2010 season. All that may be up the air now: The Journal Sentinel, citing an unidentified source, reported (http://tinyurl.com/knqurqg) that Bulaga tore an ACL and will miss the season. The Packers cancelled practice Monday and no one from the team was available to comment. Its unclear when Bulaga was injured Saturday night. He took all the first-team snaps at left tackle during the scrimmage and was also on the field-goal protection unit at the end of practice. The Packers would appear to have two options at left tackle: They could move Newhouse, who took over for injured veteran Chad Clifton during the 2011 season, back to left tackle; or, they could insert promising rookie fourth-round pick David Bakhtiari there. Bakhtiarri was impressive during the first week of practices in pads, competing at right tackle with Newhouse and Don Barclay.dddddddddddd When Bulaga suffered a season-ending hip injury last November, Barclay started the final six games (including playoffs) at right tackle but has been working at centre and guard so far in camp. The upheaval comes at a time when offensive line coach James Campen was pleased with the way the rejiggered starting five was coming together. "You know, I think that quite frankly its exceeded what I thought it would be at," Campen said late last week. "I think theyve done a very good job with their footwork. They took advantage of the OTA periods to get adjusted to it. I think theyre over that hump. Its just a few little things, new footwork theyve got to work on, but I think theyve adjusted very well." The Packers still dont have 2011 first-round pick Derek Sherrod at their disposal. He remains on the active/physically unable to perform list because of the broken leg he suffered in December 2011. The Packers also reportedly signed veteran quarterback Vince Young to a one-year deal Monday, looking for depth with Graham Harrell and B.J. Coleman behind Rodgers on the depth chart. Both the Journal Sentinel and ESPNMilwaukee.com reported the signing, citing unidentified sources. Young has played for Tennessee, Philadelphia and Buffalo since he was the No. 3 overall pick out of Texas in the 2006 draft. Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Cheap NFL Jerseys Throwback Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Hoodies Wholesale Black NFL Jerseys Discount Jerseys ' ' '