Wedgie proof does away with one hurdle

TIM CLAYTON/Sydney Morning Herald

ON YOUR MARKS, GET SET...: Watched by her fellow athletes, Jana Rawlinson, right, tries out one of the Australian Olympic uniforms at the fashion launch in Sydney.

Relevant offers

Olympics 2008

Amputee barred from Beijing Games Fans to face fines, jail over fake Olympic goods Food safety an Olympic challenge for Beijing Games Beijing school grooms girls to award Olympic medals Phelps starts foundation with Olympic bonus Oprah throws party for US Olympic medalists Bolt faces showdown with Powell and Gay Powell equals second fastest 100m ever Hurdler out to prove win was no fluke Bolt inspires Powell to target 9.59 seconds

Australian hurdler Sally McLellan is just happy that her green Olympic briefs were "wedgie" proof.

World champion Jana Rawlinson is satisfied because the high-cut one-piece in which she hopes to win Olympic gold covers her post-baby "tummy".

The female stars of the Australian track team headlined the Olympic uniform launch yesterday and the cut of the lycra was the buzz under the Big Top at Luna Park.

"I won't get a wedgie, I don't think," McLellan said.

"That's what all sprinters want ... it can be really uncomfortable wearing briefs that go right up your butt. It's really annoying, but I feel these are pretty good."

The uniform, which favours a deeper green and gold this Olympics, drew gushes of praise from all athletes at the launch - from first-time Olympian McLellan to the Athens gold medal cyclist Anna Meares.

Rawlinson, who will head to her third Olympics, said that she would step on to the Beijing Stadium track in the green and gold bodysuit. The two-time 400-metre world champion, who has a son, Cornelis, spoke of feeling "shivers" when she slipped on the new threads.

"I'll probably wear the all-in-one, as I am a mum and you've got to cover the tummy," Rawlinson said, laughing.

"It's very comfortable. Luckily, I trained in the same suit previously so it's something that's going to help my performance in Beijing … it's very, very exciting."

The new uniform drew praise from the Sydney Morning Herald fashion editor, Kellie Hush.

"Gold and green isn't the easiest colour palette to work with," Hush said. "But thankfully it's hard to make an elite athlete look bad - case in point Jana Rawlinson. Rawlinson is the perfect-fit model for the new uniform and if looks count in Beijing then our new Olympic uniform is a winner."

Like the Speedo LZR swimsuit which caused such a commotion, the adidas-sponsored uniforms also have their technological advancements.

The materials used are designed to keep the athletes cool in the heat and humidity of Beijing, while boxers, rowers, athletes and weightlifters will have the choice of wearing suits with so-called "Powerbands" technology.

The Powerbands are anchored at key points, such as around the waist or above the knees, and are focused on key muscle groups in the upper legs and shoulders. They are primarily designed to increase an athlete's power output by just over 5 per cent.

David Pease, one of the men responsible for the new swimsuit in which numerous world records have been broken, believes the Powerbands technology is helpful for athletes but will not cause a huge stir.

"Without knowing a lot about the testing they came up with - it sounds pretty straight up," Mr Pease said.

"A lot of it is always going to be a marketing angle to it, but there's a lot of [advanced] material now to work with these days, and that's why the LZR suit has been so successful."

- © Fairfax NZ News