2016 Rio Olympics has been going and competitions have been great. I really like to watch the highest level athletic competitions. Track and Field competitions have been going, and Usain Bolt won 100m as expected.
Today, Decathlon has started. I saw a guy who looks like a superhero. You might also saw it. It was Ashton Eaton from USA and he wore a mask. He is a gold medalist from 2012 London Olympics in this event. You compete for ten events on decathlon. So, he might be actually a superhero.
I was not sure about the mask that he worn. I found out that it was for cooling the face and head area for recovery purposes. According to Nike who invented the mask, temperature consciousness and recognition on the face is two to five times more sensitive than other body surface areas, therefore the mask helps to recover physiologically. I have not read research articles about this topic and am interested in reading about it.
Decathlon athletes compete for ten events between two days: five events on each day, Day 1: 100m, Long jump, Shot put, High jump and 400m, Day 2: 110m hurdles, Discus throw, Pole vault, Javelin throw and 1500m. They are on the field and compete all day long for the two days. Ashton Eaton uses the mask between the events and while he is waiting for his turn.
He seems to like the mask. It helps him physiologically and psychologically. I am looking forward to seeing his back to back title in the event.