Adhesive Tape Gains Olympic Fame

    As TV viewers watched American figure skater Mirai Nagasu’s star performance at the Olympics, they couldn’t help noticing a dark strip bearing the letters “USA” on her thigh. Was it a tattoo? It turned out to be a strip of kinesiology tape from KT Tape, the designated provider of kinesiology tape to Olympic athletes.

    The company’s CEO said that at a guess, Nagasu had sustained a slight muscle injury that required the support the tape offers. The elastic tape is being used by several athletes, and not always in the ways that the company initially intended. Skier Ted Ligety used the tape on his face as protection against frostbite, but KT tape says that this is an “off label” use for its product which is still being researched.

    As a rule, the tape is recommended as a means of relieving the pain of injuries and providing support – and both amateur and professional sportsmen and women have access to the product.