Olympics

Tale of the Tape: The Bay Area Olympic Edge

If you look closely at some of the medal-winning Olympic athletes, you’ll see tape.

It’s RockTape, the colorful tape made by the company of the same name in Campbell.

A bit of Silicon Valley that sneaks its way into the Games every two years, and the company says it really helps.

"The tape microscopically lifts the skin away from soft tissue” says RockTape CEO Greg van den Dries, “That promotes blood flow, and the more blood flow you get into an injured or fatigued area, the faster it recovers."

This kind of thing, we’re told, started 30 years ago to help horses recover after Equestrian events. Now, it’s used by humans, both super fit and the rest of us (“It can help a weekend warrior recover, too” says van den Dries).

The future? More athletes, but also, canines. Check your local sporting goods store for tape to help your dog, too.

Scott follows Olympic Tech on Twitter: @scottbudman

Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly mentioned that Kerri Walsh Jennings wears RockTape. She wears KT Tape.

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