AP Photo Natalie Coughlin of the U.S. and her fellow swimmers use new, high-tech suits made of slippery, synthetic fabric that helps keep the legs aligned at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

 In ancient Greece, the original Olympic games were a no-tech event. Athletes competed in the nude in sports such as running and wrestling, and there was no such thing as a carbon fiber bicycle.

 That certainly isn’t the case today. Some sports, like archery, cycling and shooting, require equipment. And in every sport, the athletes use all sorts of technology to improve performance. 2008 marks the most technology-laced Olympics ever. Let’s look at some of the equipment that will make 2008 the fastest Olympics to date.

 The most obvious piece of technology on display this year is the swimsuits. Many of the swimmers are using LZR Racer suits from Speedo. These suits feature a very tight fit, a slippery synthetic fabric and ultrasonically welded seams to streamline the body. There is also a structural feature sewn into the suit that helps to keep the legs aligned with the upper body. Since even a thousandth of a second can mean the difference between winning and losing in the pool, every tiny bit helps. Many world records have fallen since the suit’s introduction.

 Any athlete who is competing outdoors this year faces the heat. The funny thing about heat is that it can slow an athlete down. Any energy that the body spends on keeping the body cool is energy wasted. And overheating could lead to a breakdown.

So several manufacturers have introduced new cooling suits meant to be worn before the race. Nike’s is the simplest. It is essentially a water-filled vest that you put in the freezer. Once the water has turned to ice, you wear the vest for about an hour before the race. It pre-cools the torso, meaning that it takes longer for the body to overheat.

 Athletes have been using low-oxygen training for decades. The basic idea is very simple. The athlete trains at high altitude, where there is less oxygen to breathe. The body responds to the lack of oxygen by boosting the number of red blood cells flowing in the bloodstream. Then, when the athlete comes down to sea level, the extra red blood cells increase performance by improving oxygen flow to the muscles.

 The only problem is that as soon as the athlete comes down, the body starts reducing the number of red blood cells again, and the effect is soon lost. Now athletes have a high tech way to keep the red cell count high. It is called a hypoxic tent. The tent is made of sealed plastic, and an air handler reduces the amount of oxygen in the tent to simulate any altitude. By sleeping in the tent, the athlete’s body keeps the red cell count high.

 Then there are the shoes. Runners in particular depend on their footwear. So manufacturers like Nike and Adidas have been working to make the best shoe possible. One longstanding effort has been to make the shoes lighter. This year, materials like carbon nanotubes and Vectran have brought the weight down to the lowest levels ever.

And Adidas has been experimenting with asymmetric shoes for track athletes. The idea is that the athlete spends a significant amount of time running in the turns, and in a turn you want one kind of shoe on the left foot and a different kind of shoe on the right foot.

 Cycling has always been a hotbed of innovation, and carbon frames are now standard equipment to make the bikes lighter. But every little bit helps. For example, there is now a new front wheel that has just eight spokes — four on each side. For comparison, a “normal” bicycle might have 32 spokes per wheel. Fewer spokes mean less weight and less air resistance.

And the rear wheels have morphed into composite disks that are made in one piece and bonded to the hub. These are the lightest and most aerodynamic rear wheels yet.

 There are many other breakthroughs as well, including carbon fiber baseball bats, lightweight jerseys that improve the flow of air, electronic air pistols and even robotic ping pong opponents used during practice. It should all add up to a record-breaking Olympics.

McClatchy