Nike, Adidas lead suppliers' battle for gold

Big two in form

Based in Portland, Oregon, Nike remains the global market leader, with annual sales of almost $21 billion against $17 billion for Adidas. Puma, formed in 1948 after brothers fell out at Adidas, is a distant third with sales of $3.8 billion.

The top two seem to be pulling away despite the Bolt factor.

Nike's sales jumped 15 percent in the quarter to end-February, while Adidas reported a 14 percent rise in the first three months of the year. Puma managed only a six percent increase, trailing its larger rivals in Europe, China and the United States.

Nike, which sponsors the US Olympic team, says the Games give it the chance to build a buzz around its products.

A jogger wearing Nike shoes runs along the Charles River in Cambridge, Massachusetts in this March 20, 2012 file photo. [Photo/Agencies]

"Its like a concept car model - we get to debut these innovations on the world's best athletes, then commercialise the opportunity by providing those technologies to athletes everywhere," said Nike UK head of PR and communications Ryan Greenwood.

For its part, Adidas has made 41 different shoes that will be worn by athletes competing in 25 disciplines.

The one thing they all have in common is their weight, they are on average 25 percent lighter than the equivalent shoes worn in Beijing.

"Every 100 grammes saved in weight is equivalent to 1 percent better performance," Cartwright said.

The group has also created what it calls the lightest ever sprint spike, at 99 grammes.

"It's so advanced we can't make that many of them," Cartwright said.

Nike too is promoting ultra-light shoes and a running uniform featuring special patches which reduce the aerodynamic drag on an athlete, an idea taken from the dimples that help golf balls to fly further.

After exhaustive wind tunnel testing, it claims it can cut up to .023 seconds off times in the 100 metres - what it says can be the difference between winning a medal and missing out.