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. 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Gerald Green Rockets Jersey . -- Josh Sterk scored once and set up two more as the Oshawa Generals edged the visiting Belleville Bulls 3-2 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action.The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights announced Wednesday that it had opened an investigation into Baylor Universitys handling of Title IX cases.The investigation was prompted by a complaint filed Sept. 26 by the schools former Title IX coordinator Patty Crawford, who resigned Oct. 3 amid allegations she made that senior leaders at Baylor prevented her from adequately investigating Title IX cases and running the office.Specifically, Crawford alleged in an interview with CBS This Morning earlier this month that a group of Baylor administrators made sure that they were protecting the brand ... instead of our students. She declined to identify the Baylor officials during the interview.The U.S. Department of Education typically does not identify those who file a complaint, but it made a rare move on Wednesday to issue a press release about Baylors investigation and noted that Crawford gave her permission to be identified.?The investigation is one of 281 ongoing sexual violence cases among 215 postsecondary institutions.The department also noted that it is a neutral fact finder that will collect and analyze all relevant evidence to develop its findings, but it does not typically release information to the public until it is done with its investigation, at which point it can release the date the complaint was resolved, dismissed or closed; the basic reasons for the agencys decision; and any suggestions for improvement, if warranted.While the U.S. Department of Education does have the ability to terminate federal funds -- which Baylor, even though it is a private school, receives via student federal financial aid for tuition -- it typically resolves cases by coming up with agreed-upon actions to improve the schools handling of Title IX complaints and enforcement.Crawfords attorney, Rogge Dunn of Dallas, told Outside the Lines that Crawford increased reporting of sexual assaults and sexual violence by 700 percent, and although Dunn did not have specific numbers, he said Crawford handled hundreds of cases. Crawford was hired in 2014 as the schools first full-time dedicated Title IX coordinator. In 2014, as part of Baylors requirement to report crimes to the federal government, the school reported it had a total of four rapes involving students.I continued to work hard, and the harder I worked, the more resistance I received from senior leadership, Crawford told CBS. That became clear that that was not something the university wanted, and in July, I made it clear and ready that I had concerns and that the university was violating Title IX, and my environment got worse.For months, Baylor has been at the center of nationwide attention ovver the handling of sexual assault allegations and investigations, including several that involved athletes.ddddddddddddIn May, law firm Pepper Hamilton released a scathing report about Baylors handling of sexual assault allegations. That report, which was commissioned by the Baylor Board of Regents, led to the demotion and then resignation of former university president and chancellor Kenneth Starr; the firing of football coach Art Briles; the suspension and then resignation of athletic director Ian McCaw; and the firings of multiple athletic department employees.Dunn said that Crawford believed Pepper Hamilton vindicated some of the things that shed been saying and trying to do but that the universitys actions to implement the law firms recommendations fell short.A statement from Baylor announcing Crawfords resignation stated: Patty was disappointed in her role in implementing the recommendations that resulted from the Pepper Hamilton investigation. At the time, university spokeswoman Tonya Lewis told the Waco (Texas) Tribune that Crawfords demand for $1 million was surprising and her request to retain book and movie rights was troubling, and we cant explain her motivation.Dunn wouldnt confirm details of the mediation because it would be a violation of the law, but he told Outside the Lines that Crawford never had any plans to pursue a book or movie deal.The U.S. Department of Education has received at least two other complaints about Baylor this year. One was from a female Baylor graduate who had not been the victim of an assault but who said she was concerned about the culture at Baylor and wanted more oversight. And another was from Jasmin Hernandez, the woman who had reported being raped in 2012 by former football player Tevin Elliott, who would end up being criminally convicted for sexual assault and sentenced to 20 years in prison.Its unclear what happened with the first complaint. Hernandezs complaint was dismissed in June, because more than 180 days had elapsed since her last reported allegation against Baylor stemming from her April 2012 assault.Four federal Title IX lawsuits have also been filed against Baylor, including one filed by Hernandez in March. Two others involve allegations against football players. Despite being a private school, Baylor is required by the federal Title IX statute to investigate allegations of sexual assault and violence thoroughly and to provide security, counseling services and academic help to those who report assaults. Part of the laws goal is to help keep victims in school. ' ' '