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Weekend Reading List (7.21.2012): Olympic Technology, Steel Bikes, Pre-Ride Check List, Surfing Goat

Olympic Technology

From the Washington Post: Olympics 2012: Innovations going for the gold
When you think innovation and the Summer Olympics, you probably don’t think of architecture, medicine, media and fashion.

You should, since the innovations featured at the games are relevant in all of these fields. In terms of pure technology, the 2008 Beijing Games featured new computerized scoring and time-keeping technology and new motion-sensing and GPS tracking technologies. So, what are some of the most exciting innovations to watch out for at the London 2012 Summer Games? Continue reading Weekend Reading List (7.21.2012): Olympic Technology, Steel Bikes, Pre-Ride Check List, Surfing Goat

Getting the Pole to the Olympics

As the athletes competing in the 2012 Olympic Games begin to descend on London we were left pondering how some of the athletes get their equipment and gear to the games – not to mention other sporting events. Traveling with a shot put probably is a bit annoying, and of course the cyclists don’t have it easy either.

But recently The New York Times noted “For Pole-Vaulters, Clearing the Bar Is the Easy Part.” This had us thinking, how exactly do you travel with a 17-foot pole? While getting it to London is probably a nightmare, so is just getting it to the local track to practice vaulting! Continue reading Getting the Pole to the Olympics

Rowers Suit Up With American Made Uniforms

As we’ve noted previously there has been much outrage from many U.S. lawmakers that some of the uniforms to used beginning next week in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London were made in China; however, we’ll continue to report on the uniforms and kits that are American made.

The Washington Post noted this week that the Rowing teams will be wearing American made kits. The men’s and women’s rowing teams will be outfitted by Philadelphia-based Boathouse Sports, which has its manufacturing done in the USA.

Boathouse Sports Official Website
[Via Washington Post: U.S. Olympic uniforms: Rowing teams to wear American-made unisuits]

Weekend Reading List (7.14.2012): Blade Runner, Beat the Heat, Google Bikes, Dumb Sports Tech

The Blade Runner

From the Kansas City Star: Olympic blade runner is redefining what it means to be ‘able’
Learn the name. You’ll know his unique stride soon.
Oscar Pistorius will be a man to watch at the London’s Summer 2012 Olympics. He’s a South African runner who will challenge your view of what it means to be “disabled.” Continue reading Weekend Reading List (7.14.2012): Blade Runner, Beat the Heat, Google Bikes, Dumb Sports Tech

Weekend Reading List (7.7.2012): Olympic Tech, Basketball Missile Tracking, Sagan Dances, Running Adventure

Olympic Tech Help

From The Guardian: London 2012 Olympics: How athletes use technology to win medals
Ever since the first ancient Greek chipped away at a lump of stone to give it the smooth, aerodynamic properties of a discus, sportsmen and engineers have been looking at ways to enhance performance – while some of those denied medals have been crying foul. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (7.7.2012): Olympic Tech, Basketball Missile Tracking, Sagan Dances, Running Adventure

The Games Begin on Xbox 360 and PS3

While the Olympic trials are underway gamers can get a chance to go for the gold beginning this week. SEGA of America announced the release of London 2012 – The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games for the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3.

The game will offer single and multiplayer completion and will feature support for the Kinect for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation Move.

This will allow gamers to get off the couch and not just watch the events but see if they have the stuff to go all the way. There is even an Online Multiplayer mode that allows players to show their National Pride as points go towards a global leader board.

So if you didn’t qualify for the games, don’t have a plane ticket to London and can’t wait until July 27 to watch it on TV, now is your chance to go to the game.

Video after the jump

Fastskin Swimsuit Comes from the Aqualab

Designing a completely new suit for swimmers isn’t so much about going back to the drawing board as it is about going back to the desktop, and the Aqualab. That isn’t some “Bat Cave” secret base for lackluster super hero Aquaman, but it could help competitive swimmers see gold in London in a few weeks. This was also the center of a simulation that helped the designers of the revolutionary Speedo Fastskin Racing System, which utilized the engineering simulation software ANSYS.

When worn together as a complete system, a Fastskin suit, cap and goggle can reduce full-body passive drag by up to 16.6 percent, improve oxygen economy by up to 11 percent (enabling the athlete to swim stronger for longer), and reduce active body drag by up to 5.2 percent. And to help make this possible Speedo looked to ANSYS. Continue reading Fastskin Swimsuit Comes from the Aqualab

USA Track & Field Uniforms Unveiled

The 2012 Summer Olympics are now just weeks away, and the USA Track & Field team officially has unveiled its new uniforms from Nike, which as we previously reported feature the golf-balled inspired dimples to help make the apparel all the more aerodynamic.

The Pro TurboSpeed is a skin-tight, full-body suit that has been wind-tunnel tested and is features the dimples to help decrease resistance. Nike also unveiled two Olympic shoes – the Nike Zoom Superfly R4 and the Nike Zoom Victory Elite for sprinters and middle distance runners respectively. Both feature Nike’s Flywire technology. Continue reading USA Track & Field Uniforms Unveiled

Swimsuit Drama Continues

There hasn’t been this much drama over swim attire since the bikini arrived followed World War II. With just two months until the London Olympics swimsuits are stirring up trouble. This comes in the wake of the Speedo LZR Racer Elite was banned following the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

The Speedo LZR Racer Elite was notably worn by Olympic gold metalist Michael Phelps, and after the games aquatic leaders banned all rubberized bodysuits. This was thought to be the end of the technological “arms race” that stirred up the trouble in the first place. Bob Bowman, coach of Phelps has gone on the record to say that the suit matters and helps, but that it doesn’t change the swimmer. In other words the Speedo LZR Racer Elite doesn’t make Phelps transform into Aquaman. Continue reading Swimsuit Drama Continues

Weekend Reading List (5.12.12): Olympic Debacle, Wind Tunneling, New Bar Sport

Eye of the Beholder

The construction of a new park at the site of the 2012 London Olympics is well underway but will not fully open to the public until at least one and a half years after this summer’s games are complete.

On Friday, officials declared the completion of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s centerpiece, the Orbit — a 377-foot tower of twisted steel that gives visitors stunning panoramic views of the city. But the structure — which somewhat resembles the Eiffel Tower — is already receiving criticism from the host nation. Olympics organizers previously faced backlash over the cyclops mascots for the 2012 games, ticket policies and the bright, flashy logo.

From The Washington Post: London 2012 Olympics: Orbit tower complete and already drawing criticism Continue reading Weekend Reading List (5.12.12): Olympic Debacle, Wind Tunneling, New Bar Sport

Keeping Time at the Olympic Games

While many of us no doubt look to kill some time during the day, at the Olympic Games keeping time is crucial. And with the London 2012 Games the official Olympic timekeepers Omega will be unveiling the latest technology to track the various competitions.

It can reportedly monitor athletes’ performance to the nearest one thousandth of a second. But this is more than just a stopwatch. This year’s games will see 450 professional timekeepers, supported by about 800 trained volunteers, working 420 tons of equipment that includes 390 scoreboards, 180 kilometers of cables and armed with the latest time keeping devices. His is a long way from the single timekeeper using 27 stop watches in the Berlin Games in 1936!

Omega Olympic Timekeeping History
BBC History of Olympic timings

Olympic Air to be Monitored

Many cities have questionable air quality, but London is one of those places where you can sometimes see the air – and that’s not going to be a good thing for the athletes in the upcoming Olympic Games. This isn’t the old London fog that is a problem, but rather the pollution.

Researchers at the University of Leicester have now released details on what could be the first of its kind instrument to measure and monitor the nitrogen dioxide emissions in a 360 degrees panorama. This technology, known as CityScan can monitor the impact of increased traffic on pollution levels. The irony it seems is that pollution will increase because of the games and that won’t be good for those competing.

At least the athletes can get a sense of how bad things are and hopefully prepare for it.

TrainingPeaks for Sky

This week the British Team Sky Pro Cycling announced that it has extended its agreement with TrainingPeaks to be the official supplier of training software for the 2012.This will allow Team Sky to continue to collect and monitor heart rate and power from each individual rider during training and racing, and utilize it in TrainingPeaks by team coaches and staff. Riders can futher adjust their own training program and regiment based on the fitness trends shown in the software.

It will be interesting to see how it helps Olympic gold medalist Bradley Wiggins, who will likely be racing in the London Olympics this summer, as well as current world champion and 2011 Tour de France green jersey winner Mark Cavendish this season. With both hoping for a potentially “golden” summer we’re sure they’ll be spending a lot of time using this data. While it probably is not as much time as they spend on the bike, but still enough to show that software is indeed changing the way athletes train; and that is helping the way they perform.

TrainingPeaks Official Website