High-Tech Olympic Gear

My most lucid Summer Olympic memory is from 1976, when Romainian gymnast Nadia Comaneci captivated the world with her grace, never-before-seen athleticism and her early teenaged timidity. All the kids in the neighborhood became aspiring gymnasts. My father built us a low-to-the ground balance beam he modeled from a magazine, and we turned our barn into a gym. There was a waiting line for the rest of the summer.

When the Olympics kick off in Beijing this August, spectators around the world will be inspired to become hurdlers, equestrians, high jumpers, and soccer stars. But times were simpler in 1976. Now young fans will watch their heroes perform with high-tech gear that may make my childhood make-believe arena even more quaint.

Writer Mathew Honan previews some of this new-fangled equipment in WIRED Magazine, and joins Word of Mouth with his take on space-age soccer balls, running shoes, and swimsuits.