Silicon Valley Helps Decathlete Run in Rio Olympics

When American decathlete Jeremy Taiwo competes in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, he’ll have Silicon Valley technology along for the ride — or the run, as the case may be.

Taiwo had his spike plates designed by the Brooks shoe company — they’re on the bottom of your running shoes — and made by Fathom, a 3-D printing company based in Oakland.

Designed on a computer, they’re made very specifically to fit Taiwo's feet, and his style.

And they’ll help carry him onto the world stage.

"You're no longer bound to traditional technologies,” Fathom co-founder Michelle Mihevc said of 3-D printing. “So you can create things you couldn't otherwise manufacture."

Fathom has a partnership with Brooks to outfit Taiwo, and the result is a look into the future of what 3-D printing can be — just about anything. And a ource of cutting edge technology, and athletic pride.

"We'll definitely be watching for him," Mihevc said.