Captain America: Does Ashton Eaton look like a super hero or villain in cooling cap?

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Its cool blue color gave the impression of the people's champion, but its shape mirrored something that would be worn by 'Magneto.'

On Wednesday, Ashton Eaton brought back his much-discussed blue hat. Eaton wore the cap, designed by Nike, before he finished first in heat 1 of the men's decathlon 100-meter. The cap covers the sides and back of his head, and stretches over his cheekbones.

The decathlon consists of a 100-meter run, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400-meter run, 110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1,500-meter run. The men's 110-meter hurdles heats begin Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in Rio de Janeiro.

The special garment is designed to keep heat away from his head and face while he competes in the Summer Games.

"A perfect scenario would be to feel like you've just started on every event," Eaton said in a Nike press release last July. "The more you do, the more attrition you experience. Rather than realizing immediate physiological gain, the challenge is more about reducing the mental attrition from the two days to maximize each event."

"After asking questions about current recovery techniques, the conversation prompted me to ask myself: Why does it feel good, after running, to pour a bottle of water over your head? I don't know the physiological answer, but the fact that it does feel better makes me perform better. "

Eaton won a gold medal in the event at the 2012 London Summer Olympics.