RIO DE JANEIRO -- Heres how good technology for prosthetic running blades has become.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. Stitched NHL Jerseys Authentic . Hargreaves began his career in 2008 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has played with the Edmonton Eskimos and last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping . A knee to the thigh might have stung him the most, but his sixth straight double-double made up for the brief burst of pain. http://www.wholesaleauthenticjerseys.us/ . Halifax beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 7-5 on the strength of two goals apiece from Nikolaj Ehlers, Matt Murphy and Brent Andrews. Jonathan Drouin also scored and had three assists while Zachary Fucale made 17 saves for the Mooseheads (16-8-0), who led 6-1 after two periods. Cheap College Jerseys Authentic .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. China NBA Jerseys Authentic . Carey Price didnt, but he still came out on top against one of his rivals for the No. 1 job at the Sochi Games. The Anahim Lake, B.C., native was stellar in making 39 saves in his home province and Lars Eller got credit for a bizarre short-handed winner as the Canadiens defeated the Canucks 4-1. Two teams that have had similar home and road splits this season meet Tuesday night when the New Jersey Devils host the Nashville Predators at the Prudential Center.The Devils are happy to be back home, where they own an impressive 8-1-2 record. They just concluded a winless four-game road trip (0-3-1) on Sunday with a 3-2 shootout loss to the New York Rangers, dropping their road mark to an unsightly 4-11-5.(Sunday) was a step forward for us because recently weve lacked a good compete level for a full 60 (minutes) on the road, but (Sunday) night we had that, said Devils rookie forward Miles Wood, who scored a goal and led the team with six shots on goal against the Rangers.Its certainly exciting to be heading back home, where weve played better this year; and if we compete like we did (Sunday), well be just fine.The Devils will have played 19 of their 29 games on the road in November and December, a difficult schedule which has already worn this team down. New Jersey heads into play Tuesday winless in their last six games overall (0-5-1) and just 3-9-4 since Nov. 17.However, as Wood pointed out, the Devils played a solid game against the Rangers, despite surrendering a pair of third-period leads. They were tenacious on the puck all night, scored their first power-play goal in five games, outshot an opponent for the time in 16 contests and received a throwback performance from goaltender Cory Schneider.That this performance followed on the heels of another well-played contest, albeit a 3-1 loss in Ottawa on Saturday, is not lost on the Devils players or coaches either.Theres lot of encouraging things going on here recently, New Jersey head coach John Hynes said. We are a team that is trying to build itself into being competitive and relevant. Lets give credit to the players, the way theyve worked the last few games, gathered themselves and are now working in the right direction. Were going to come out of this in the right way.Like New Jersey, the Predators have been very good at home while strugggling on the road this season.dddddddddddd Nashville, which did open its brief two-game East Coast road swing Monday with a 2-1 shootout victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, is just 4-9-2 away from Bridgestone Arena -- as opposed to 10-3-3 on home ice.Also, like the Devils, Nashvilles overall game has been compromised since late November. The Predators have not won consecutive games since Nov. 25 and their overall record since then is just 4-5-2.Despite being one of the leagues top defensive teams in the month of November, the Predators have since allowed three goals or more in nine of their last 11 contests.We have to find ways to win and get rolling and move up in the standings, Predators captain Mike Fisher said to the teams official web site. We know we can be better. We have to be better.The Predators were certainly better Monday night as goaltender Pekka Rinne made 31 saves though regulation and overtime before stopping all three shots he faced in the shootout. Ryan Ellis scored the decisive goal for Nashville.The struggling Filip Forsberg tied the game, 1-1, midway through the third period with his fourth goal of the season for the Predators. In a sign that his scoring touch may be returning, Forsberg, who netted 33 goals a year ago, scored for the second time in his last four games.Its a huge win for us, Rinne said to reporters after the win. Weve been struggling on the road and any points, any wins we get right now, is big.Nashville defenseman P.K. Subban missed his second straight game Monday due to an upper body injury. He will not play in Tuesdays contest against the Devils.This will be the second and final meeting between the Predators and Devils this season. On Dec. 3 in Nashville, the Devils erased a 4-1 deficit with three third-period goals and capped their rally on Michael Cammalleris game-winning score at 4:42 of overtime for a stunning 5-4 victory. Chiefs Jerseys China Cheap Nike Chargers Jerseys Cheap Nike Raiders Jerseys Wholesale Cowboys Jerseys China Cheap Nike Giants Jerseys Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys For Sale Wholesale Redskins Jerseys China Cheap Nike Lions Jerseys Packers Jerseys China Cheap Vikings Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Panthers Jerseys Hoodies Cheap Saints Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Nike Buccaneers Jerseys Cardinals Jerseys China Cheap Rams Jerseys Hoodies Cheap Nike 49ers Jerseys Seahawks Jerseys China Bears Jerseys China Cheap Nike Bills Jerseys Ravens Jerseys China Wholesale Falcons Jerseys China ' ' '