RIO DE JANEIRO -- Heres how good technology for prosthetic running blades has become. Wholesale Baltimore Orioles Jerseys .Greek runner Michail Seitis set a world record for his division with a time of 49.66 seconds in the mens 400-meter final on Thursday. He came in sixth place out of eight runners. The five who finished ahead of him were double amputees.Oh, to be bilateral, said U.S. sprinter David Prince, a friend and training partner of Seitis, as he watched the race unfold.Technology for prosthetics has improved so much that it is actually better to be a double amputee in track and field than a single amputee, says Prince, who lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident.That pace of development has accented a trend within Paralympic sports. Sometimes better technology has created a gap between athletes within the same division -- or classification, as its known at the Paralympics -- who have distinctly different levels of disability.Last year and this year were really hard for me to stay motivated to actually continue training, because I go into the race knowing that they (double amputees) run faster times and I know Ill get beat, Prince said.Technology plays a prominent role at the Paralympics, with athletes across a variety of events utilizing different equipment to perform at the top of their discipline.Tatyana McFadden, the top wheelchair racer at this years games, is sponsored by BMW Racing and uses a specially designed chair to perform at her peak.The technology is amazing, McFadden said after one of her races on Thursday. She added: Its important in this sport to have that little extra edge.And more gear is always coming down the pipeline, like a swim cap that alerts a swimmer when a wall is approaching, which is being developed for athletes with visual impairments. Such swimmers are currently tapped on the head by a guide with a long pole.The athlete-technology partnership was acknowledged in the opening ceremony for the Rio Paralympics when a dancer performed a routine with a human-sized robotic arm as a partner, a piece called Harmonious Relationship.The developments are both exciting, and -- to Prince -- somewhat concerning. He worries that some athletes, such as single amputees like himself, will be left behind.At the same time, he does not begrudge double amputees for availing themselves of whatever is within the rules.I support them going tall, said Prince, referring to the fact that newer blades are longer and can increase the height of runners. Because if they go tall and start running these ridiculous times, guess what, the IPC has pressure now to address it.Craig Spence, spokesman for the International Paralympic Committee, said the Rio Games have shown him an increased level of athletic performance. However, he was hesitant to attribute all of it to advances in technology. Training for disabled athletes also is improving.Ive noticed that our athletes are getting faster, stronger and more agile in every single sport, Spence said. Whether I put that down to technology, well youve got to look at the facts that our visually impaired athletes are getting faster as well. As are athletes with coordination impairments and they dont use any piece of technology.Spence said the only stipulation in terms of access to blades or any other piece of technology is that it must be available on the public market.Prices for running blades vary, but the top-of-the-line options can reach tens of thousands of dollars.Prince, who won a bronze medal in the 400 in London and finished sixth in the 200 meters in Rio, said the biggest difference that he has seen between the 2012 Paralympics and this year has not been a new piece of technology, but rather the number of competitors who are using the best equipment available.He also has had conversations with members of the IPC about figuring out competition between single amputees and double amputees. The main question that Prince is concerned with is whether double amputees and single amputees should compete against each other at all.The data is inconclusive, but if you have eyes, you can see, Prince said. It doesnt take a doctorate degree to look at that and say, `Huh, maybe a bilateral does have an advantage over a unilateral amputee.While Prince acknowledges that it is still possible for a unilateral like himself to beat double amputees, he said when he lines up in a lane and sees a top level double amputee competitor, he knows what is most likely to follow.With the number of competitors using the top blades on the market larger than ever, and many of those being under the age 25, what could happen over the next four years is a sharp dropoff in the number of single amputees competing in events against bilaterals, the 33-year-old Prince said.That would be a shame, he feels, and would go against the spirit of the Paralympics.If things progress and were kept together, he said, theres not going to be any unilateral amputees running because we wont have a chance.In order for the sport to stay legitimate, something has to be done.--Garrett Ross is a journalism student at Penn State University. Penn State and Georgia are partnering with The Associated Press to supplement coverage of the 2016 Paralympics. Wholesale Houston Astros Jerseys .J. Jefferson has been charged with assaulting his girlfriend. Wildcats #4 Rajon Rondo Blue Basketball Stitched NCAA Jersey .ca look back at each of the Top 10 stories of 2013. Today, we look back at Boston Strong - a citys recovery from tragedy. http://www.wholesalejerseysusmart.com/nike-nfl-jerseys-china_cincinnati-bengals-jersey-china/ . The giant slalom world champion slipped during her first run in the morning, landing on her back and then twisting forward before getting her leg caught in the protective material on the side of the slope. YAS MARINA, Abu Dhabi -- Kimi Raikkonen says Ferrari has to be happy with fourth on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix grid despite being pipped to third late in Q3.Raikkonen was third after the initial runs in Q3, but was relegated one position by Daniel Ricciardo in the closing seconds as the Red Bull driver crossed 0.015s quicker. Though he dropped a position on the second row, Raikkonen is focusing on the positives from a much-improved weekend for the Italian team.We had it for a while and the last lap was pretty OK but was nothing like very good, Raikkonen said. So the difference was very small so for sure that amount you can find in one braking here or there, but if you get sideways you lose that easily. It was there but this is what weve got so weve got to be happy with that. The car has been behaving well, its not an easy place to do a good lap so its not ideal but we tried at least.Red Bull has looked strong in the the tight and twisty final sector this weekend. When asked if the final sector was a problem for Ferrari, he replied: No. I think its been as good as the other sectors in feeling wise, but obviously I dont know, I havent seen the times. Flyers #53 Shayne Gostisbehere Orange Stitched NHL Jersey. .I think we did a pretty decent job, obviously not enough to be at the front but I think it was very close between third and fourth place. That little difference for sure it could have been a bit better here or there so I think it was a pretty OK two laps but not perfect. But this is what weve got today.Ricciardo will line up in front of Raikkonen with the super-soft tyre on, giving the Ferraris ultra-soft tyre a potential advantage off the ling thanks to extra grip. However, Raikkonen is unsure whether it will make a huge difference given the short run to Turn 1.Its hard to say. I dont think theres an awful lot of difference between those two tyres but who knows? 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