KEY POINTS:
Greg Norman's remarkable run at this year's British Open golf tournament was stopped, in part, by New Zealand.
The ageing Australian was the tournament darling for three glorious rounds, but Irishman Padraig Harrington hung on, overtook Norman in the final round and won by four shots in terrible conditions.
Heading into the tournament, Harrington was nursing an injured right wrist - sprained while using an impact bag. He put his chances of finishing at just 50 per cent.
To help conquer that injury, two unique NZ anti-inflammatory gels were applied to the offending wrist.
The gels, Eze and All Black & Blue, were invented and patented by New Zealand biotech company Nemidon.
They are based around a unique carrier gel that delivers the active ingredients to the inflamed areas far quicker than conventional products.
Harrington's doctor, Dale Richardson, used the two gels in tandem, and said they worked "with great success".
Dr Richardson, of the Titleist Performance Institute of the US, said he had used the gels on many top golfers, including Michael Campbell, Davis Love III, Nick Faldo and Thomas Bjorn.
"I've found these gels are not only the best-quality soft-tissue therapy products on the market, they offer a perfect therapeutic range to deal with most soft-tissue injuries."
The water-based gel is derived from seaweed mixtures, is insoluble in cold water and, because of its molecular structure, water readily passes in and out of it.
It allows the active ingredients to be delivered rapidly, while letting the skin breathe. Conventional gels and creams are acrylic based, and are broken down by sweat.
Dr Richardson's praise and Harrington's win were major landmarks in the Kiwi company's history, Nemidon chief executive Margaret Holloway said.
The company, under lead researcher Dr Ian Miller, began researching the gel 15 years ago and it had been in shops for eight years.
But this result was the first major achievement pointing customers to the product's potential.
"It's enormously important," Mrs Holloway said. "What it's done is we have been able to directly relate our product to a use. And that's very important, particularly in the US."
Being a small company from the bottom of the world made cracking any international market very difficult, Mrs Holloway said. Rather than building credibility based on sales figures, credibility had to be built on hard science.
"I'm a great believer in New Zealanders having the ability to place ourselves in niche markets with good quality goods. Because there's nothing wrong with our science or our ability."
HOW GEL WORKS
* The gel is soluble, allowing water and sweat to pass through it.
* It releases water molecules on to the skin, creating a cooling effect.
* Active ingredients penetrate into deep tissue, opening capillary networks.
* Loosens up areas of fibrous tissue, allowing increased mobility.
* Can be used during competition, as contains no prohibited substances.
