The Olympics Blog

Mario & Sonic Rio 2016 Olympics Arcade Game

2015-07-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

A while back Nintendo and Sega announced the next edition in the popular Mario vs. Sonic Olympics franchise. They also announced that the game would make it into arcades in Japan and now we have the first look at the machines themselves. Looks like a lot of fun! We're looking forward to playing the Wii U version next year!

Tokyo 2020 Unveils Official Logos

2015-07-24T13:58:00.000-07:00

Here they are!

I kinda like it. In my book... it's not as big of a misstep as London 2012, but not as big of a home run as Vancouver 2010.

What do you think?

Los Angeles 2024 Bid Logo!

2014-05-02T15:01:00.001-07:00

Love it!! Let's hope LA can win the USOC selection process and the official bid itself!!

Nike 2014 U.S. Olympic UniformsRevealed

2013-12-20T11:12:00.002-08:00

U.S. Snowboarding unveils Sochi 2014 Olympic uniforms

2013-12-04T14:01:00.001-08:00

Greg Dacyshyn, Chief Creative Officer at Burton Snowboards, said the following through a press release...

“We’re really proud that the 2014 uniform builds on Burton’s legacy of creating fun, unconventional designs that stray from the formal, traditional look of most uniforms. The vintage quilt and flag print of the jacket combined with the corduroy pants give the uniform a ‘heirloom hippie’ vibe that lines up with snowboarding’s laid-back culture while paying respect to America’s longstanding creative heritage. It will stand out in Sochi for sure.”

Mario & Sonic 2014 Bundle Price Confirmed!

2013-10-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

The bundle, which comes with the full game and a blue Wii Remote Plus, will retail for $59.99. That's only $10 more than the game by itself! It'd be nice if the remote was customized with art from the game, but it's a great dean nonetheless.

PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Emblem Unveiled

2013-10-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

Ralph Lauren 2014 U.S. Olympic Uniforms Revealed

2013-10-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

With 100 days to go until the 2014 Winter Game in Sochi the Ralph Lauren 2014 U.S. Olympic uniforms were revealed on the Today Show this morning. I like the classic look!

Abandoned Olympic Venues

2013-10-28T10:12:00.002-07:00

An abandoned bobsled track in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina) used in the 1984 Olympics.

Over on the Huffington Post there is an incredible collection of photographs of abandon Olympic venues.

You can find the original article and more photographs here:
http://goo.gl/jrd5ZI

The images are haunting. Some of the venues pictured were used as recently as the summer games in 2008. It's disappointing that these venues are built and just abandoned. I really do hope the IOC does more to ensure that host countries don't over build in the future.

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games - Commercial

2013-10-28T09:01:00.001-07:00

New details about Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games

2013-10-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

Nintendo announced today some new details about the upcoming Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. The game will be released for the Wii U on November 15th in the US. The game will feature online multiplayer for the first time and take advantage of the Wii Motion Plus controller. Additionally they will be selling a version of the game that will have blue Wii Motion Plus controller included. I'm looking forward to this release! The original Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Vancouver 2010) was my favorite game in the series. I really hope they bring back the "Olympic Village" aspect from that game.

Additionally, the official site for the game is up and running. There is not much there at the moment, but I'm sure that will change soon. I've included a screen capture of it below...

Lastly, Nintendo also debuted a new trailer for the game today. It looks like it may include a sneak peek at the opening cinematic. It also breaks down some of the new features from this iteration of this game. Nintendo has prohibited embedding of the trailer, but you can view it on YouTube here: http://youtu.be/TWnmi0JL5h0

Tokyo Selected as 2020 Summer Games Host City!

2013-09-08T00:32:00.001-07:00

I can not be more happy with the announcement today that Tokyo will be the host city for the 2020 Summer Olympics! I have been pulling for Japan to win this since the get go. Happy to see it happen and I'm looking forward to seeing more come from them over the coming years.

Washington, D.C. Pursuing 2024 Olympic Games Bid

2013-09-04T13:15:00.000-07:00

Washington, D.C. has put together an exploratory committee to potentially seek a 2024 Olympic Games bid. I would love to see the summer games back here in the States. You can find out more info at their Official Site and their Facebook Page.

Vintage 1996 Atlanta Coca-Cola Ad

2013-08-26T21:18:00.000-07:00

I was going through so old junk of mine from my parents house a a few weeks back and I ran across a stack of Disney Adventures magazines that I read as a kid. While flipping through a few of them I spotted this Coke AD for the1996 Sumer Olympics in Atlanta. Just thought I share.

A better look at the Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games boxart!

2013-08-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

Is this the final Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games boxart?

2013-08-09T16:45:00.000-07:00

It's a small pic, but it looks like it could be legit. I'm sure we'll find out soon!

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games -- "July Trailer"

2013-07-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

Logo, Artwork, and Details on the Sochi 2014 Mario & Sonic Game for the Wii U from E3 2013!

2013-06-11T14:12:00.003-07:00

The image above contains what looks like the official logo for the game.

Here are some details directly from Nintendo & Sega out of E3 today:

Mario and Sonic go for the gold!Join Mario and Sonic and the rest of your favorite characters as they team up and compete in events at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.FEATURES:• Experience realistic events from the Winter Games, including curling, skiing, figure skating pairs and snowboard slopestyle, which will make its Olympic Games debut inSochi, Russia.• In addition to these realistic events, the game also includes Dream Events set in the worlds of Sonic and Mario that let players perform dynamic moves not possible in real life. For example, experience the adrenaline rush of Winter Sports Champion Race, a mixed event that combines skiing, snowboarding, skating and bobsleigh in a single race.• The Wii U GamePad controller and the first use of Wii Remote Plus functionality in the series offers greater depth of control and intuitive game play that immerses players in each event.Platform: Wii UGenre: SportsPlayers: 1 – 4Rating: RP (Rating Pending)Launch Date: November 2013Developer: SEGASuggested Retail Price: TBA

Below is even more artwork and screenshots of the game in action. I'm really looking forward to this one!

Gremlins Olympics Poster?

2013-05-30T16:33:00.001-07:00

I spotted this online and had to share. It seems WB tried to ride the wave of publicity surrounding the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 1984 to promote their film Gremlins. How is this possible you ask?! It says "Summer Games" on the poster not Olympic Games. That torch he is holding though is pretty spot on to the official one used. Seems like a rare find indeed!
via.

Sochi Unveils Winter 2014 Olympic Medals

2013-05-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

I like them!! Here are some details from the Sochi Organizing Committee...

The presentation of the medals took place in St Petersburg, Russia, in the presence of International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission Chairman Jean-Claude Killy and Sochi 2014 President Dmitry Chernyshenko. The event followed the approval earlier in the day of the medals by the IOC’s Executive Board.

The Sochi 2014 Olympic medals are truly unique and feature Sochi 2014’s “Patchwork Quilt” – a mosaic of national designs from the various cultures and ethnicities of the Russian Federation. The medals depict the landscape of Sochi, with the sun’s golden rays reflecting through a prism of snowy mountain tops onto the sandy beaches of the Black Sea coast. Made by skilled craftsmen from a combination of metal and polycarbonate, the medals have a sense of lightness and distinctive beauty, which will make it all the more special for the lucky athletes that get to take one home from the Games next year.

The medals also contain a number of unique details. For example, the front of the medals features the Olympic rings, while the reverse contains the name of the competition in English and the logo of the Sochi Games, with the official name of the Games engraved in Russian, English and French on the rim. The Olympic medals will weigh between 460 and 531 grams depending on the metal used – gold, silver or bronze - and will be 10mm think and 100mm in diameter. In total, about 1,300 medals will be manufactured for the Sochi 2014 Games.

PyeongChang 2018 Debuts Official Logo

2013-05-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late on this one, but PyeongChang recently debuted their final official logo for the Winter 2018 Olympic Games. I have to be honest, I'm not crazy about it. I'm sure it will grow on me as I see it more and more, but it seems like a misstep similar to the London 2012 logo.

Here are some official details released regarding the logo:

The PyeongChang 2018 Olympic emblem is an abstract motif inspired by Hangul, the alphabet of the phonetic Korean language.
It is composed of the first consonants of the name of the host city, PyeongChang.

The 'ㅍ'(P) is the first consonant of the first syllable, Pyeong. It also symbolises the open square where the celebration of athletes and winter sports will take place.

The 'ㅊ'(Ch) is the first consonant of the second syllable, Chang. It symbolises the natural environment of snow and ice, and the stellar achievements of the athletes - the stars of the Games.

The colours reflect the Olympic Flag, and they also represent the five traditional colours of Korea.

Taken together, the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic emblem embodies the harmonious synergy between the sky, land and people. Set in a majestic setting of snow and ice, athletes and people from around the world come together in an open square in PyeongChang to celebrate the finest winter sport athletes and the greatest winter sport festival.

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Announced!!

2013-05-17T08:44:00.002-07:00

This morning Nintendo announced the next installment of the Mario and Sonic Olympic Games series durring their Nintendo Direct. I was hoping for this but didn't expect it to get announced today. CLURING IN HD!!!! The Vancouver 2010 installment of the series was my favorite so far so I'm very excited to see this version! I've included a few screen caps and the description from Nintendo below...

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games: The game includes a variety of sports including curling, skiing, snowboarding, figure skating pairs and snowboard slopestyle. Different events might use the Wii Remote Plus controller, Wii U GamePad or both. In addition to realistic events, the game also includes those set in the worlds of Sonic and Mario that let players perform moves not possible in real life. Launch details and timing will be announced at a later date.

FROM UP ON POPPY HILL

2013-05-01T06:07:00.000-07:00

Original Japanese Poster

Still Frame from Japanese Trailer

From up on Poppy Hill is out in theaters now.

The story takes place in a Japan that is picking itself up from the devastation of World War II and preparing to host the 1964 Olympics – and the mood is one of both optimism and conflict as the new generation struggles to embrace modernity and throw off the shackles of a troubled past.

I would really like to see this one. The film references the Tokyo 2014 Olympics as you can see from the image and description above.

London 2012 Olympic film "First"

2013-04-30T08:57:00.001-07:00

I stumbled across an article about this documentary this morning. The film revolves around 12 first time Olympians competing at the London 2012 games. Hopefully it will end up on video for everyone to enjoy!

Details from the Fathom Events website:

Date: Thursday, May 30th
Time: 7:30 PM (local time)
Ticketing: Tickets are available by clicking on the orange “Buy Tickets” button. If online ticketing is not available for your location, you can purchase your tickets by visiting the box office at your local participating cinema. A list of participating locations can be found on the Theater Locations tab.

Special Fathom Feature: Exclusive interviews with London 2012 Olympians including swimmer Missy Franklin, gymnast John Orozco, boxer Queen Underwood and BMX racer Caroline Buchanan.

Every four years, the most talented athletes from around the world prepare to follow their dreams and take their place in history at the Olympic Games. The only documentary about the London 2012 Olympic Games supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), FIRST: The Story of the London 2012 Olympic Games follows 12 first-time Olympic athletes on their journey from their homes in different corners of the globe to meet their fate in London.

Presented by NCM Fathom Events, New Moon and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), this exclusive one-night event in select cinemas nationwide on Thursday, May 30 at 7:30 PM (local time) features the uplifting stories of 12 young warriors.

The event includes exclusive personal interviews with America’s swimming sweetheart Missy Franklin, gymnastics hero John Orozco, boxing legend Queen Underwood and Australian BMX daredevil Caroline Buchanan as they discuss how the London 2012 Olympic Games changed their lives forever.

London 2012 Olympic Games BBC [Blu-ray] (2012)

2013-03-13T08:42:00.000-07:00

I ran across this while poking around online today. It seems from all the reviews I have read that the NBC home video release was somewhat of a bust. I have high hopes for this release though. This set was produced by the BBC and includes the full opening ceremony 7 hours of highlights and the closing ceremony. I don't know if I'll ever be able to get a hold of a copy, it's currently going for $80 on amazon.com, but I remain hopeful that I can catch it someday.