The Olympics Blog

Speedo unveils Fastskin3 swimwear system for London 2012 Summer Games

2011-12-19T08:06:00.000-08:00

With the July 2009 FINA ban on the high tech LZR suits that help shatter so many swimming records in Beijing 2008 Speedo set to work on developing a new system that would further help swimmers shave off those precious milliseconds. The new concept is more of a system, which includes suit, cap, and goggles, that Speedo is calling Fastskin3. I guess we'll find out this summer in London if this system will be as successful as the LZR in giving simmers the edge they need to smash even more records.

Here are some more details provided by Speedo:

Speedo has secured full FINA (Fédération Internationale de Natation) approval for a world first concept to revolutionize the sport of swimming – a cap, goggle and suit engineered to work together as one revolutionary Racing System - offering swimmers a cohesive, hydrodynamic solution to cut through the water with maximum efficiency.

Unveiled today during an exclusive global launch event, the Speedo FASTSKIN3 Racing System offers unrivaled benefits to swimmers, including a full body passive drag reduction of up to 16.6%, an 11% improvement in the swimmer’s oxygen economy enabling them to swim stronger for longer, and a 5.2% reduction in body active drag, to create the world’s fastest cap, goggle and suit ever.

With a distinctive and futuristic design that considers both the physiology and psychology of the elite swimmer, the Speedo FASTSKIN3 Racing System enhances hydrodynamic efficiency and comfort, while improving the athlete’s focus to perform.

The result is Speedo’s most advanced swimwear and equipment technology since the introduction of new FINA guidelines in January 2010, strengthening Speedo’s world class reputation as one of the most innovative brands in all of sport.

Michael Phelps, regarded as the most accomplished swimmer of all time, has led plaudits for the concept, saying: “Speedo FASTSKIN3 makes me feel completely at one with the water. I feel confident, I feel comfortable and I feel like I am wearing the fastest.”

While suits, caps and goggles are conventionally designed separately, Speedo has designed and engineered all three elements together to generate a unified system that works in synergy, incorporating many world firsts in swimming technology.

The Speedo FASTSKIN3 Racing System utilises a new anatomical marking system, ‘Fit Point Markers’, at strategic points across the cap, goggles and suit, which indicate how to align the Racing System accurately on the body to achieve optimum fit for the best performance. Intuitive IQ FIT technology maximises swimming comfort while minimizing resistance and drag.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games - TV Commercial (Mario Ending)

2011-11-07T10:50:00.001-08:00

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympics - 3DS Boxart

2011-11-07T10:43:00.000-08:00

Here is the, very busy looking, cover art for the 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympics. I'm not looking forward to this one as much as the Wii version. I had a chance to play this at E3 this year and while it had it's moments of fun a lot of the games require you to move the 3DS around which breaks the 3D effect the moment you do so. This doesn't dampen my enthusiasm for the Wii version though! I'm hoping it will be the best yet!

Michael Phelps: Push the Limit

2011-10-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

I spotted this in the Best Buy ad this weekend. I had completely forgot that he signed a deal for a video game. It seems like the Kinect is the perfect fit for a game from him. I don't know how much fun this would be beyond the novelty of it though. I can't imagine there is a lot of gameplay variety, but I could be wrong.

Here is what the game's published 505 Games has to say about it:

Learn from and be inspired by the greatest – Michael Phelps has won 14 Gold Medals. He’s broken 39 world records. And now, he wants to bring his passion for swimming right into your living room.

Challenge your friends and family in fun and fast match ups – your front room becomes a giant pool for up to 8 people. Or take the world online with Xbox Live!

Control and have fun in every element of the race – With Phelps as your own personal swim coach, hype up the crowd, improve start reaction, dive, stroke, turn and finish. Compete in freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke races over short and long distances.

Intelligent, intuitive and healthy Kinect gameplay. You are the controller - the moves you make in your front room are replicated on screen. Get off the sofa and truly dive into the game!
Cutting-edge water effects transport you to breathtaking locations around the world – including serene mountain ranges, grand cityscapes, skyscrapers, architectural wonders, and an 80000 seat outdoor sports arena.

Become a Champion in Career Mode - choose your path through the racing season, swerving or meeting rivals head on, and take part in the end of season Annual Games where glory and medals are up for grabs…and compete against Michael Phelps, himself.

You can find out more at the game's official website: www.michaelphelpsgame.com
You can also find the game on Amazon.com here: Michael Phelps - Push the limit

Mario & Sonic get a blue Wii bundle in Europe

2011-10-10T08:11:00.000-07:00

In honor of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Nintendo announced plans to launch a special blue Wii bundle in Europe this November. Despite the Sonic theme, the system (one of the new-model, GameCube-free Wiis) is a lighter blue than the hedgehog. It will include the game, a matching Wii Remote Plus, and likely a Nunchuk in the same color.

Via Joystiq.

Mario & Sonic 2012 European Pre-order Bonuses!

2011-09-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

- exclusive tin (retailers offering this preorder have not been revealed yet)

- preorder Wii version for a free child’s large sized t-shirt (SEGA Spain)

Let's hope they consider doing pre-order bonuses herein the States as well!!

Editorial Comic: Proposal for Denver 2022 Mascot

2011-09-10T04:37:00.000-07:00

The comic above was posted by the local Denver website Denver Westword. I'm not sure what they are trying to say with it? Are they opposed Denver hosting the olympics in 2022? Are they saying Americans are an agressive bunch? Both? Maybe it's a local thing...

Six Applicant Cities for the 2020 Olympic Games

2011-09-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

For now I think I'll be pulling for Tokyo, but that may be a difficult bet with the 2018 Winter Games being held in South Korea just two years prior. Who knows though, anything is possible at this point!

From the IOC Press Release:

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is pleased to announce that six cities have been put forward by their respective National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to apply to host the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in 2020. The cities, in alphabetical order, are: Baku (Azerbaijan), Doha (Qatar), Istanbul (Turkey), Madrid (Spain), Rome (Italy) and Tokyo (Japan).

NOCs had until 1 September 2011 to notify the IOC that a city within their jurisdiction was interested in applying. In addition, all of the above NOCs/cities complied with the newly introduced prerequisite criteria established by the IOC Executive Board (EB) in October 2010.
The six Applicant Cities will now proceed to Phase 1 of the IOC’s two-step procedure, which will lead to the election of the 2020 host city in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 7 September 2013.

• Phase 1, known as the Candidature Acceptance Procedure, focuses on a technical review and the cities’ ability to host the Olympic Games in 2020. Cities are required to answer a questionnaire, and their answers are studied by the IOC. At the end of this first phase, the IOC EB selects the cities that will become Candidate Cities and therefore move on to Phase 2.

• Phase 2, known as the Candidature Procedure, concentrates on Games operational matters. Candidate Cities will be requested to submit their Candidature File – which is an in-depth description of their Olympic project – and will be subject to a technical assessment made by a visiting team – the IOC Evaluation Commission. The IOC Evaluation Commission’s appraisal will be published in a report and sent to the IOC members no later than one month before they cast their votes on 7 September 2013 and in time for the 2020 briefing for IOC Members. The report will also be available to the public on www.olympic.org.

Denver Considering Winter 2022 Bid

2011-09-07T15:39:00.000-07:00

From GamesBids.com:

A Denver bid for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games is looking more likely when U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, co-chair of the Congressional Olympic and Paralympic Caucus, wrote last week to the chair of the United States Olympic Committee's board of directors (USOC) asking for a quick resolution to a revenue-sharing conflict with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The USOC decided last month not to submit any U.S. bids for the 2020 Summer Games, stirring up interest in a Denver bid for 2022.

I think this would be a fantastic idea. I'll be rooting for this to happen! It sounds like a broken record by now, but let's hope the USOC can get it's act together so that we can all move on and look forward to the day when the IOC announces another Olympic games on US soil.

Vegas attempts to roll the dice on 2020 Olympics

2011-09-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

According to Yahoo Sports:

When the U.S. Olympic Committee said it wouldn’t bid to host the 2020 Games, Las Vegas leaders decided to roll the dice anyway: They have sent a letter to the IOC saying they are still all in.
The letter, dated Aug. 26 and sent to the International and U.S. Olympic committees, says, “this is intended to serve as the Vegas 2020 Bid Committee’s Application Letter to host the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.”

There is a catch here though that I think Vegas may be blissfully ignorant about, intentionally or not, and that is that the IOC requires that any applicant city's bid must have the support of their national Olympic committee for it to be taken into consideration. Given the USOC's declaration that they will not be submitting a bid for the 2020 games and it looks like Vegas is placing a losing bet here. Better luck next time I guess...

London Olympics to be Broadcast in 3D

2011-08-30T16:25:00.000-07:00

I was reading through a recent edition of The Hollywood Reporter and noticed a little comment in a larger article about 3D that stated that the London 2012 Summer Olympics will be getting the 3D treatment. I'm personally un interested in watching TV in 3D, but hopefully there is an audience out there for this content!

Here is more:

The 2012 London Olympics will get the 3D treatment, with plans currently in the works for at least 10 venues to be covered by 3D cameras, according to a leading broadcast equipment manufacturer.
"Although 3D is still marginal in relation to the larger audience there will be a few of the main events (at the 2012 Olympics) in 3D with feeds from 10 venues being discussed," said Luc Doneux, who heads major events for broadcast equipment manufacturer EVS, whose server technology lies at the heart of broadcast plans that are being formulated by host broadcaster Olympic Broadcast Services (OBS).

Via.

Rio 2016 unveils Olympic Park masterplan

2011-08-26T09:02:00.000-07:00

From the IOC:

The Organising Committee for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games has unveiled the masterplan for the city’s Olympic Park, following an international competition to find the best design. The winning project was chosen ahead of 60 entries from companies in 18 countries and outlines both the park’s Games-time usage and the long-term legacy it will leave for Rio.

It shows how the different areas of the Olympic Park will be used, such as where the public spaces, squares and parks will be located, and also outlines the location of the permanent and temporary venues and the future real estate developments to be built at the site.

In 2016, the Olympic Park will be at the heart of the Games, hosting the competitions for 10 Olympic sports (basketball, judo, taekwondo, wrestling, handball, hockey, tennis, cycling, aquatics and gymnastics). The Main Press Centre (MPC) and the International Broadcasting Centre (IBC) will also be built on the site.

The new permanent sports venues in the Olympic Park will be built around the existing facilities, such as the Maria Lenk Aquatic Centre, the Olympic Velodrome and the Olympic Arena. After the Games, this group of venues will form South America’s first Olympic Training Centre, helping to discover and develop sporting talent, while at least 60 per cent of the Olympic Park will be freed up for future developments.

“This is yet another step taken towards building the Rio 2016 Games legacy,” said Carlos Arthur Nuzman, President of the Rio 2016 Organising Committee. “The Olympic Park legacy for Brazilian sports will be a training centre modelled after the successful experiences of the world’s greatest sporting powers.”

Another Look at Mario and Sonic at London 2012 Olympic Games' Yellow Case

2011-08-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

USOC Announces It Will Not Bid on 2020 Games

2011-08-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

I find this news extremely frustrating. The USOC can't get it's act together enough to allow an interested city to bid on the 2020 games. According to ESPN:

The U.S. Olympic Committee has notified all interested cities that it will not submit a bid to host the 2020 Olympics, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Monday.

Chicago, New York and Dallas were among those that had expressed interest in putting forth a bid to host the games, but any bid was contingent upon the USOC working out a long-simmering revenue-sharing deal with the International Olympic Committee.

It feels like more and more the USOC has become the "Anti-Olympic" committee. I really hope they can get it together and resolve this soon. With South Africa and the US officially out of the running it looks like the remaining contenders are Rome, Tokyo, Istanbul, and Madrid.

Mario and Sonic at London 2012 Olympic Games - Beach Volleyball Gameplay Video

2011-08-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

Tags: GameTrailers.com, Mario & Sonic: London 2012 Games - GC 11: Beach Volleyball Gameplay (Cam), PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

NPR's "The Economic Legacy Of Atlanta's Olympic Games"

2011-08-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

John Bazemore/AP

NPR has posted this interesting little look into the economic impact, both positive and negative, of the 1996 Summer Olympics on the city of Atlanta. The broadcast begins with the announcement of the selection of Atlanta over Athens to host the 1996 Summer Olympics and goes on to state that it "launched more than $1 billion of construction projects, from Olympic venues to housing for the athletes." The audio broadcast is included along with the article and at only 5 minutes long it's worth a little listen: http://goo.gl/ofELD

Rage Against The Machine Plays L.A.'s Memorial Coliseum

2011-08-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

Rage's history is intertwined with L.A.'s Olympic history. In addition to the recently played concert mentioned in the above video they played their last concert together at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in late summer of the year 2000. As you can see they have since returned to touring together, but the recording of that last concert remains their last album released to date.

Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium

The 14th FINA World Championships Winners and Losers

2011-08-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

Yahoo's Fourth-Place Medal Blog has a nice wrap up article about the The 14th FINA World Championships that just recently took place in Shanghai, China. Rather than a traditional editorial they have posted what they consider to be the "Winners and Losers" from the competition. While this commentary and their selections are not my own it's a fun and informative read nonetheless. Here is their list:

Winner: Ryan Lochte

Loser: Australia

Winner: Missy Franklin

Loser: Ian Thorpe

Winner: China

Winner: Michael Phelps

Loser: Silver medals

Click through to the original article Winners and losers from the swimming world championships to see their reasons for their picks.

EPIC Los Angeles 1984 belt buckle for sale on eBay!

2011-07-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

I ran across this truly EPIC Los Angeles 1984 "Summer Games" belt buckle while browsing eBay. Who wouldn't want this bad boy holding their pants up exclaiming to the world how much they love LA and the Olympics?! The description on the auction says the following:

1984 ADM BRASS BELT BUCKLE LOS ANGELES OLYMPICS 1ST ED
No. 1938

This is a NEW never worn belt buckle I bought it during the

1984 LOS ANGLES Summer Olympics.

It has only been on display in my show cabinet

You can find out more details or buy this piece of epicness here: http://item.ly/300575987919

*This is not my auction nor will I make any money if someone purchases it through this link. I'm only sharing it here for others to enjoy as much as I have. In fact, maybe I'll start doing this more often. There is a TON of awesome Olympic related memorabilia on eBay.

London 2012 Unveils Olympic Medal Designs

2011-07-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

In addition to all the other festivities celebrating one year to go until next year's summer games, London 2012 also officially unveiled their medal designs. I personally really like them. I'm not sure what I expected but I was surprised that I liked them so much when I saw them. Well done London 20122! Here are some details that were outlined in their official press release regarding the unveiling...

To mark one year to go to the London 2012 Olympic Games, the London 2012 Olympic medals have been unveiled to the world tonight by Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, and London 2012 Organizing Committee Chair Seb Coe, in the presence of IOC President Jacques Rogge and Coordination Commission Chairman Denis Oswald at a special ceremony in Trafalgar Square, London.

The Olympic medals, which are presented in recognition of the incredible achievement of outstanding athletes, will be made in Britain and have been designed by British artist David Watkins who is an established artist in the field of decorative art.

The Press Release went on to describe the medals further...

IOC President Jacques Rogge said: 'Highlighting the effort and achievement of the athletes, as well as the city where the Games are held, these beautiful medals will be a fitting reward for the Olympic medallists of 2012. It is the pinnacle of a sporting career to become an Olympic champion but I am confident that receiving one of these medals will make it all the more special in London next year. Congratulations to LOCOG for creating a design that will inspire the Olympians of 2012.'

The Olympic medals' circular form is a metaphor for the world. The front of the medal always depicts the same imagery at the summer Games – the Greek Goddess of Victory, Nike, stepping out of the Parthenon to arrive in the Host City.

The design for the reverse of the London 2012 Olympic medals contains five main symbolic elements:

The dished background suggests a bowl similar to the design of an amphitheatre.

The core emblem is an architectural expression, a metaphor for the modern City, or as a geological metaphor as a tough crystalline growth which is deliberately jewel like.

The grid brings both a pulling together and sense of outreach on the design – an image of radiating energy that represents the athletes’ achievements and effort.

The River Thames is a symbol for London and also suggests a fluttering baroque ribbon and adds a sense of celebration.

The square is the final balancing motif of the design, opposing the overall circularity of the design and emphasising its focus on the centre and reinforcing the sense of ‘place’ as in a map inset.

The sport and discipline of the medal-winning athletes will be engraved on the rim of every medal.

I do find the line about the "circular form as a metaphor for the world" pretentious though. Of course it's round! All the summer Olympic medals are. But I digress...

You can read more details here: http://goo.gl/2nrpx

Release Date and Cover Art for Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games

2011-07-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

So the artwork I posted a little while back turned out not to be the official artwork. Sega has announced the release date for the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games along with the final cover art. I imagine this news was released to coincide with the one year to go celebrations taking place today. The game will debut in the US on on November 15th and in Europe on November 18th. The cover art sure looks busy. For better or worse it seems to be in line with the rest of the graphic identity for London 2012. Dare I say it, but London's tragic look is actually growing on me. I doubt I will ever love it the way I have other games, but I don't hate it all the way I once did. Additionally, it seems the game will come in a yellow box rather than the traditional white for Wii games. This change is not unprecedented. New Super Mario Bros. Wii shipped in a red case and Nintendo has release some of their more mature oriented games in black cases in Japan.

London 2012 Celebrates One Year to Go!

2011-07-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

This aerial image shows the number '1' mown into the grass in the Olympic Stadium, starting the celebrations to mark one year to go until the Games begin.

London is celebrating "one year to go" today! Things are shaping up nicely and the hype for the 2012 Olympic Games is mounting.

Usain Bolt and the Science Of Sprinting

2011-07-27T01:03:00.000-07:00

I ran across an attention grabbing headline to an article that said: "The world's fastest man doesn’t move his legs quicker than anyone else during a race." So I clicked on through and read bits of the article. It is indeed interesting. The gist of the article and study is this...

Speed, as it turns out, may be completely misunderstood.

When Bolt established the current 100-meter world record in the 2009 world championships, running it in 9.58 seconds, he did so by moving his legs at virtually the same pace as his competitors. In fact, if you or I were to compete against Bolt, our legs would turn over at essentially the same rate as his.

He went on to answer the question, "So if leg turnover is the same, how does one person run faster than another?"

[The scientist] discovered that speed is dependent upon two variables: The force with which one presses against the ground and how long one applies that force.

You can read the full article here: Usain Bolt: Case Study In Science Of Sprinting

I'm looking forward to watching Bolt try to wow the world again with his magnificent speed next year in London!

More High Resolution Art from Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games

2011-07-17T23:40:00.000-07:00

I've got two more high res character images for you (Amy and Tails) along with super high resolution logo art for the game. Click here to view my original post with artwork for Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Sonic. Enjoy!