Speedo unveils Fastskin3 swimwear system for London 2012 Summer Games

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.

Top 10 Olympics Videogames According to IGN

I'll start by noting that this article and it's corresponding list is old. It was published in 2008. While it is interesting to get someones take on it like this I really disagree with a lot of this and most of the games aren't official Olympic games. But I digress, there have not been on over abundance of great officially licensed Olympic video games. So without further ado here are the Top 10 Olympic Video Games... according to IGN... from 2008...

10. Beijing 2008
9. Caveman Ugh-lympics
8. Mario & Sonic and the Olympic Games
7. HesGames
6. Decathlon
5. Decathlete
4. Winter Games
3. Summer Games II
2. Summer Games
1. Track & Field

Now you see what I mean?! A lot of these games are unheard of! The fact that two games from Beijing 2008 is pretty telling that this guy didn't have much to go on. Track and Field is a great pick along with the original Mario and Sonic Olympic game. I really think Nagano Winter Olympics '98 for the N64 should have been included on the this list. I loved that game! I have played a demo of the Beijing 2008 and found it painfully dull. I am eager to try the Winter Games and Summer Games originally developed by Epyx for the Commodore 64. Thankfully these games are available through the Virtual Console service on the Wii. I may give them a shot sometime and do a little write up on here about them.

You can read the full article here: Top 10 Olympics Videogames

Usain Bolt and the Science Of Sprinting

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!

FC Barcelona's Camp Nou to get a make over

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of FC Barcelona's Camp Nou football (Soccer for us Americans) stadium the club issued an international tender to re-model the stadium. This satdium was used to host the football tournament during the Summer Olympics in 1992. You can see the stadium as it is currently above. And below is a Scale model of the purposed make over of Camp Nou.


I actually think this is a beautiful design, even though there is a striking similarity to China's Beijing National Stadium.

Beijing's Water Cube drawing different types of crowds

A year after the Summer Olympics, the fancifully designed aquatics center is popular with tourists and is regularly booked for weddings and galas, including an extravagant production of 'Swan Lake.'

More @ LA TIMES

China’s real Olympic legacy...

This is so frustrating and disappointing. Bummer. I imagine they are still going to start the torch in Athens, right?

From the WSJ:
In the run-up to last year’s Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China staged the most ambitious international torch relay to date, a month-long tour spanning six continents, following by a three-month, zig-zagging journey through more than a hundred Chinese cities.

But the relay got off to a notoriously bad start. In London and Paris, protestors tried to snatch the Olympic flame and unfurled Tibetan flags and banners criticizing China’s human rights record. In San Francisco and other subsequent cities, the relay routes were often changed at the last minute to avoid further embarrassing confrontations.

Now, the International Olympic Committee has called for an end to international torch relays ahead of future Olympics, starting with next year’s Winter Games in Vancouver. Organizers of the London Summer Olympics in 2012 had already said they had no plans to stage an international torch event.

“I think when the torch relay is inside the host country there is more control,” said IOC director Gilbert Felli, according to the BBC.

Michael Phelps Beijing Sports Illustrated Cover

This is the cover for the current issue of Sports Illustrated out on news stands now. Good luck getting your hands on a copy! We've been trying all week and it's sold out everywhere.

The Games of the XXIX Olympiad are officially over...

Well the 2008 Summer Olympic Games are officially over. I wish I was able to post more through the duration of the games but this blog is a hobby for me and not a full time job so I can't post or comment about everything in real time. The good news though is that while there is plenty of news and such to cover between the games I will also expand on my thoughts concerning the events that played out in Beijing. I'll start with this...

I think overall China put on a great Olympics. While it's a shame that it seems as though they will return to their old habits regarding Human Rights very quickly I hope they learned something from the world and the competing athletes. The games as a whole were spectacular and the athletes put on a great show. The spectacle of the opening ceremony was absolutely amazing. From Phelps, to Bolt, to all the other great highlights it was a great summer. On a side note related to the Opening ceremonies, I felt that while the first party of the closing ceremonies were very interesting... but once London started their bit it got very boring very quickly! I hope this is not an indication of what they have in store for us in four years. I keep trying to give them the benefit of the doubt but everything from the Logo to their part in the closing ceremony has been extremely disappointing. I hope they work hard to rectify this over the next for years. No, I don't think they have to spend 40 Billion dollars like Chine did to put on a great show, but seriously London... step up to the plate. Show us what you have. If you make a mistake, acknowledge it try to lean from it and keep moving forward. I hope you do. I wish you success, honestly.

Anyway, please stay tuned for more commentary regarding the games in Beijing over the next few weeks and months. I'd love to hear your thoughts as well... if you have something to share please leave a comment. I'd love to hear what those of you around the world thought of the games...

The Dream Team is redeemed!!

The United States fought a tough Spain squad Sunday to win 118-107!
Congrats, you guys deserved this one!!

An amazing day for Team USA in Beijing today!

Phelps wins legendary Gold #8 with help from fellow Team USA swimmers.

Some may say Dara Torres lost. I saw not only did she win by the mere fact that she was competing with swimmers half her age, the Silver medals are nothing to be ashamed of.

Team USA's Dream Team 2.0 shows Spain how to play good basketball.

I don't think the USOC had any idea that things would play out like this when they started using the phrase "Amazing Awaits" as their slogan.

Swedish wrestler stripped of medal he doesn't want

I thought this was too funny not to share. I think the IOC thinks they're disciplining him. Maybe they didn't get the hint when he placed the medal on the mat and walked out of the ceremony?

By Maggie Hendricks of Yahoo's Fourth Place Medal Sports Blog

In the Olympic equivalent of "You can't fire me, because I quit!" Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian was stripped of his bronze medal by the International Olympic Committee after he dropped his medal on the mat during the 96 kg (211 lbs) Greco-Roman medal ceremony. It's a pretty empty gesture when Abrahamian made his feelings pretty clear about that medal. What struck me is that the IOC specifically punished Abrahamian for disrupting the medal ceremony, but they had nothing to say about him coming after the judges in his controversial loss the eventual gold medalist Andrea Minguzzi. Abrahamian had to be restrained by his coaches, but the safety of the judges must not be as important to the IOC as the sanctity of their precious medal ceremony. If I were a judge, that would make me think twice before accepting an invitation to the Olympics.

Phelps: LUCKY NUMBER 7!

Once again words fail to adequately describe his performance in a race.

He got his hands on the wall a hundredth of a second ahead of Cavic -- a finish so close the Serbians filed a protest and swimming's governing body had to review the tape down to the 10-thousandth of a second.

Read more at ESPN.com

USA wins Gold in men's 4x100 relay!!

What an astonishing race!!! We were on our feet cheering from here! Those guys deserve that medal. The word "amazing" is insufficient to describe the win.

ESPN says,

Before the men's 4x100 relay final, French swimmer Alain Bernard said they'd "smash" the Americans. During Monday's race, they were about to. But Jason Lezak caught Bernard at the wall to win gold by .08 seconds and give Michael Phelps his second gold of the Games as his chase to history stayed alive.

Gold medal #1 in Beijing for Phelps!!

Congrats Mr. Phelps!! And here's hoping to many more in the next few days!!

Roger Ebert comments on the Beijing 2008 Opening Ceremony

...and once again puts things more eloquently than I could myself. Needless to say I completely agree with him on this one. It was absolutely amazing!

I was one of the allegedly 300 billion people watching the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics on TV, and I think I received the intended message: China is here, big time. The scope, precision and beauty of the production was, you will agree, astonishing. The distinguished director Zhang Yimou was given $300 million and full reign of his imagination, and perhaps some of his background in opera was also useful.

The sheer size of the production was awesome. It said a lot for China, both positively and perhaps negatively. With the exception of the star pianist Lang Lang, a duet between Sarah Brightman and Liu Huan, and some featured dancers, the emphasis was not on individuals, but on masses of performers, meticulously trained and coordinated. What was your reaction to the opening spectacle of 2,008 drummers, creating waves and shapes of lights with their drums? Mine was amazement and pleasure.

You can read the rest of his commentary here: Zhang Yimou's gold medal By Roger Ebert

Beijing 2008 Opening Ceremony Slideshow

Hopefully you caught this last night. It was magnificent! Lots of great and wondrous sights! They really put on a great show.

The 2008 Summer Olympic Games start today in Beijing!!

As most of you know I'm a huge fan of the Olympics the same way some people out there are fans of Football or Baseball. I'm very excited about the games being kicked off today! I'll be posting my thoughts and various other things related to the games to here so please come back by again soon!

I know China is taking a lot of heat politically lately... which I think is entirely justified and I'm happy the status quo is not going unchallenged there... at the same time though I hope that the athletes are able to compete in a safe environment and that the games go on in the spirit of peace and friendly competition. I hope that if there are protests that there will be no violence on either side of the fence. As the great Martin Luther once said, "Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love."

Anyway, the point is... lets hope all goes well.. and.. Go TEAM USA!!

A look at the Beijing Olympic Medals

I think they are beautiful! I love that they included Jade. It makes it that much more special because it's specific to the host country. Reminds me of medals from Lillehammer in 1994 that included Granite from the region.

Description from the IOC:

For the first time jade is used for the Beijing Olympic medals. The medals have been designed with inspiration coming from "bi", China's ancient jade piece inscribed with a dragon pattern. The medals symbolise nobility and virtue and are the embodiment of traditional Chinese values of ethics and honour, emitting a strong Chinese flavour. The winners’ medal is made of gold weighing not less than six grammes each. The medal for the runner-up is made of pure silver.

Noble and elegant, the medals are a blending of traditional Chinese culture and Olympism. On their obverse side, the medals reflect the Greek character of the Olympic Games: the goddess of victory Nike pictured in the Panathinaikos Stadium. While on their reverse side, the medals are inlaid with jade with the Beijing Games emblem engraved in the metal centrepiece. The design inspiration of the medal hook derives from jade "huang", a ceremonial jade piece decorated with a double dragon pattern and "Pu", the reed mat pattern.

Development artwork for the animated BBC Olympics promo

I came across the Blog of Kevin Dart who apparently did concept art and backgrounds for the Monkey animated piece from the BBC. I've included one of the images above, but I highly encourage you to take a look at his site for more beautiful work.

NBC Pre-selling 2008 Beijing Olympic Highlights DVD a week before the games start

Wow, the games are still a week away and NBC is pre-selling the highlights to them! I find it funny that they already have the description in past tense.

With all the HD coverage it would be nice to see this on Blu-ray.

Details from their online store:
2008 Beijing Olympic Highlights DVD
It was merely 36 years ago that a U.S. President first visited China, a country previously secluded and unfamiliar. But behind the Great Wall, phenomenal growth and modernization occurred, culminating in the selection of Beijing as host of the 2008 Olympics.

Athletes from all corners of the globe descended upon this ancient city, remade with spectacular architecture as an ultramodern capital. Though separated by geographical origins and cultural backgrounds, all competitors shared the undeniable attributes of athleticism and determination. Each venue provided exhilarating performances…from the swimming pool to the beach volleyball court…from the track to the soccer field, and from the gymnastics center to the basketball court.

In the end, while some athletes were fortunate to celebrate their achievements on the medal stand, others were able to fulfill their dreams simply by competing. But the captivating and unforgettable moments of those two weeks in Beijing will last forever. Relive all the drama and excitement…from the pageantry of the Opening Ceremony to the extinguishment of the Olympic flame… all captured on the official Olympic DVD from NBC Sports.