The Swift Revolution Continues BEAVERTON, Ore., Dec. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- It's fury on ice. Short track speedskating's 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 Nike's successful Project Swift initiative, led by Nike's Advanced Innovation Team, to develop high-performance athletic apparel for athletes worldwide. USA Speedskating's 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, there's 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 skater's 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. Nike's 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 program's inception in 2000. About Nike, Inc. NIKE, Inc. based in Beaverton, Oregon is the world's 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. 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 http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Nike, Inc. CONTACT: Dean Stoyer of Nike, +1-503-532-6018 or Web site: http://www.nikebiz.com/

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