Australian Olympic swimmers set to wear revolutionary sunglasses to help them deal with late-night races

REVOLUTIONARY sunglasses to be worn at night are the Australian swim team’s secret weapon to combat late night finals and the stilnox ban at the Rio Olympic Games.

Australian swimmers (l-r) Travis Mahoney, Belinda Hocking, Matt Abood, Madi Wilson and Madeline Groves model the Propeaq glasses the swim team have been given to help adapt to conditions in Rio.

REVOLUTIONARY sunglasses to be worn at night are the Australian swim team’s secret weapon to combat late night finals and the stilnox ban at the Rio Olympic Games.

As the Dolphins prepare for an insane competition schedule in Rio that features finals starting at 10pm local time, swim bosses have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure Australia uses cutting edge technology to be “the best prepared team” on pool deck.

With athletes likely to get to bed between 2am and 3am every day, Australia will fly their own curtains and window screening into the village to ensure “complete and absolute darkness” in every bedroom.

Head coach Jacco Verhaeren has also sourced sunglasses, valued at over $400 each, from his native Netherlands for every swimmer and staff member to filter light into the eyes.

It means Australian swimmers can stroll out on to the pool deck for finals between 10pm and midnight wearing sunglasses to make the outside world appear to them to be day time.

With the use of an App swimmers are also able to convert their own glasses into a “night mode” which can help the wearer fall asleep faster at the end of competition or during a break between heats and finals.

Australian swimmers (l-r) Travis Mahoney, Belinda Hocking, Matt Abood, Madi Wilson and Madeline Groves model the Propeaq glasses the swim team have been given to help adapt to conditions in Rio.

“We’re working with glasses that can give light when needed, so going into the finals you will actually see people wearing sunnies,” Verhaeren said.

“But behind those sunnies there is light coming into their eyes.

“It’s up to the athletes always if they want to use it.”

With stilnox and similar sleep drugs banned by the Australian Olympic Committee, the Propeaq glasses might just be the difference between gold or silver medals to sleep-deprived swimmers.

“Before you go to sleep you can wear red glasses which will make you go to sleep better,” he said.

“Or you can wear blue glasses which will make you wake up better.

“It’s going to be very interesting, it’s one of the latest inventions really in what they usually use for jet lag protocol but now we also use it for performance protocol.”

Verhaeren has also worked with the AOC to ensure swim team rooms are located on the top floor of village towers, to avoid morning noise from other athletes while they attempt to sleep until 10am

The rooms are also strategically located close to the dining hall and bus services to reduce as much walking in the village as possible.

The swim team will also cover every window in every room to avoid waking up with the sun.

“We want to be the best prepared team there,” Verhaeren said.

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“That means everything in terms of good choices for where our rooms are, good choices in protocols with food and everything and protocols with these glasses.

“If the slightest amount of light comes through (windows) people tend to wake up.

“It’s all about the cortisol and melatonin production that actually makes you sleep or make you awake so we’re going to make smart use of light.

“Which means completely darkened rooms and blacked out.

“It’s not the miracle cure but we hope these small things all help.”