Great Olympic Swimmers

A pair of swim goggles is provided which incorporates a timing device with a visual display in the swimmer’s field of vision and automatic actuation upon contact with water. A lens allows the wearer to read the display located near the eye. A preferred embodiment incorporates this lens into the corner contour of the eye shield. Other embodiments provide the lens, timing device, display, power and related circuitry in a module insertable in an opening in one eye covering. The timing device can assist a swimmer in pacing and measuring elapsed time, in both recreational and competitive swimming.

Finding the right pair of swim goggles is very critical for your swimming. We have a large variety of swim goggles listed on our website, especially the latest ones. For those who want to find business opportunities in the field of swim goggles, please check our website made-in-china.com.

Time for Buying Swim Goggles More and more people are heading for outdoor activities as the summer is approaching. Swimming is always one of the top choices. Before setting out, people must check their bags to insure they have taken all the equipment they need and, especially the suitable ones. Swim goggles are a must. Finding the right pair is thus very critical for your swimming. It goes without saying that the hot season for swim goggles is coming. For those who want to find business opportunities in the field of swim goggles, please check our website www.made-in-china.com

Better Goggles from Made in China.com We have a large variety of swim goggles listed on our website, especially the latest ones. Firstly, we have lots of racing swim goggles that reduce drag without compromising on vision. Secondly, we have groups of swim goggles specially designed to fit female face shape, such as feminine goggles featuring a rear clasp fastening on the strap in order to reduce risk of hair tear. Thirdly, we have long-piece goggles for great comfort and fit, featuring a unique angled lens and side clips for easy adjustment. What is more, for those who are tired of selecting, we recommend such swim goggles that are so flexible to fit every swimmer’s face. Those swim goggles features a one-piece tubular strap that extends a complete loop around the goggle lens and nose bridge to form to the exact contour of every user’s face. For more information of swim goggles, please visit our website www.made-in-china.com

High Quality Service from Made in China.com Made in china always keeps in touch with the old customers to get the present condition of various kinds of swim goggles as well as other products. All the products are made in China with excellent quality and competitive prices. As a leading B2B E-commerce export service provider in China, www.made-in-china.com provides a B2B online marketing platform for both Chinese enterprises and global buyers. We keep perfecting our service and updating information from time to time. And we have special service of comparison among industries, which proves to be very helpful and valuable. With our job, you can contact any company that you are interested in and you can get a fruitful long-term profit. Please feel free to check our website and we are always here to help. Any suggestion will also be appreciated.

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Sportex Middle East 2008
Sportex Middle East 2008, an International Event Dedicated to Sports, Fitness, Health and Leisure industry in the Middle East.

The show promises to be an exciting arena where manufactures, service providers, consultants and professionals of the industry, from across the globe will converge and discuss strategies to grab a share of the huge & profitable market for the industry evolving in the Middle East.

The event is supported by Dubai Sports Council, World Federation of Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI), Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Department of Economic Development, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, SOSFO (Seoul Olympics Sports Promotion Foundation) and other local sports associations and federations.

Author: Angulo Fu

You may be a runner, a yogi, a walker or a sports buff, but everyone can benefit from swimming.  You may have a fear of the water stemming from a bad childhood incident that is preventing you from swimming.  Or you may not know the proper techniques involved in swimming laps in an Olympic size pool.  Have no fear, with a few simple tips you will be on your way to becoming a seasoned swimmer or at least look like one.

Swimming as a cardio exercise is widely recommended by most doctors because it doesn’t apply harsh pressure on the joints.  It is a whole body workout for people who have injuries, musculoskeletal, arthritis, or weight limitations.  Professional athletes train in water after injuries to regain their strength or cross train to improve their range of motion.  People with disabilities or joint stiffness use swimming as a means to relieve pain.  It incorporates all muscle groups – giving strength to back, shoulders, hips, glutes, and legs.  Water gives 12 times the resistance as similar movements in air.

There have been many success stories associated with the positive impact swimming has on physical disabilities.  People can go from getting around in wheel chairs to walking perfectly normal.  Try to enlist a friend who is a good swimmer to show you the basics or get a swim coach.  I am not a swimmer, never have been in my entire life until I had an injury  Start by swimming for about 10-15 minutes at a time, then work up to 30 minutes a few times a week.

Don’t get frustrated- learning swim styles besides the doggy paddle can seem overwhelming.  You can use a kickboard to feel more comfortable or begin by running in place in the water.  It is a great workout and it can be very calming, as well.  You just need a bathing suit that won’t fall off and some eye goggles.  It took me awhile to get acclimated because I felt awkward and didn’t know what I was doing.  Some kind soul showed me the way and I am hooked!  Just dive right in!  What have you got to lose?

Author: Lyla Feldman

For all the grossly overweight and cumbersome Olympic hopefuls this year, we have some new technology. There are none, I hear you say. Exactly, so why is there such a hue and cry over the new swimsuits from Speedo?

Technology working with sports is nothing new. For years, scientists have looked for ways of enhancing the performance of sportsmen and women, with great success.

We have go faster trainers to propel the runner faster, sportswear that wicks away moisture and sports equipment that will hit balls further. All this while keeping the equilibrium between athlete’s performance and legal intervention steady is a true balancing act.

However, it seems that there are concerns over whether or not Speedo may have overstepped the mark in their new invention of sportswear. Speedo are the sponsors of the British Olympic swimming team and so have a vested interest in creating the best legal sportswear possible in their field.

They have come up with a swimsuit that athletes are haling as the item of sportswear that makes them feel like they are effortlessly gliding through the water. The Speedo LZR Racer costume had already been cleared by Olympic officials but the plethora of speed records that have been broken since its launch are giving the officials cause for concern.

Scientists have used computer software to determine the parts of the swimmers body most likely to cause drag. They have then taken their findings and created a swimsuit that eliminates this drag. It acts like a corset streamlining the body to the max. A compression effect reduces skin vibration and muscle oscillation and is embedded with special low-drag panels.

The suit is coated in water-resistant Teflon and welded together in a seam free fashion. Swimmers have noticed a significant change in their performance whilst wearing this 320 pound sportswear and in the six weeks since its launch, sixteen world records have been broken.

This has made the Olympic governing bodies sit up and take notice. Why? Ok, records are being broken and this is aided by the use of a swimsuit. However, how can they be deemed illegal? It’s not like they are being jet propelled through the water through means other than their own athletic force.

Speedo are not the only ones to have discovered this new way of using fabrics in sportswear. Their rivals, Arena, also are developing similar products and are anticipating a good competition.

The corset type effect of this sportswear streamlines the swimmer, reducing stress. The competitors themselves say they have noticed huge differences in how the swimming action feels. However, when did you last see a fat Olympic swimmer? When did you ever see an athlete that was in need of streamlining?

And more to the point, can this technology be incorporated into other items of clothing? If so, I’m first in the queue at Debenhams to pick up my streamlining trousers and go faster knickers. Will they produce a complete body covering underwear garment modelled on this sportswear that can suck in all extra layers of ‘warmth’ and if so, where does it all go?

Are we going to see a new body shape emerging with super streamlined bodies but massive great hands and feet where all the spare has been squeezed out? Maybe such a look won’t catch on after all and we should just leave this technology for the sportswear.

Author: Catherine Harvey

My book, RETURN TO THE MIDDLE KINGDOM: One Family, Three Revolutionaries, and the Birth of Modern China, begins in the middle of the 19th century when China was nicknamed, by the Western Powers, as the “Sick Man of East.” When Eugene Chen (my late father-in-law), fought to get rid of this label, there were other characters in my book who were fighting the same good fight. One was Zhang Boling, a great educator, who founded Nankai School on the principles of the American educational system after he had graduated from his American Alma Mater, and made the school sports an important part of training. The slogan was: Healthy people makes a strong nation.

As early as in 1915, patriots like Zhang Boling worked for getting Chinese into the Olympic Games, but the West jeered at them, just like they did Eugene Chen. Excluded, Zhang, with Thomas C.T. Wang, another character in my book and Eugene’s colleague, planned to launch a separate Far-East Olympic, the predecessor of Asian Olympic, in Shanghai. But the only place which could accommodate this event was the training ground of the British forces, and it had never admitted a Chinese. That stirred up a huge furor, and it took all the diplomatic skill of Thomas Wang to persuade the British to rent the place to them. On the opening day, Zhang Boling marched into the arena at the head of the Chinese team.

In 1928, Chinese team was still banned from the Olympic, but there happened a lone Chinese voice from the stands: “Wo Neng Bi A!,” meaning “I can compete!” Fortunately because it sounded like “Olympia,” the man, named Song Ruhai, was not driven out.

It was not until 1932 that China was invited to compete in the Olympic. China was not able to put together a team, so the patriots pooled their resources and helped a runner, named Liu Changchun, to go to London. Britain, eager to cater to the Strong Man of Asia - Japan, intentionally mistook Liu for a representative from the quisling government of Manchukuo, the northeastern part of China which had been occupied by the Japan in 1931. Liu did not win, and the Western media reported the failure of the “Little Chinaman,” laughing at Liu’s short stature.

In 1936 China managed to send a small team to the Olympic held in Berlin. They were defeated. A Western paper carried a cartoon, depicting a group of haggard Chinese men in traditional long gown holding a huge egg, and the caption was: the “Sick Man of East.”

In 1937, Japan started an all-out war on China. After the end of Second World War, China sent a team to attend the 1948 Olympic Games. No victory. In 1949, the Chinese Communist Party took over the mainland and China was again banned.

The brief history above proves that the chase of the Olympic Dream had begun long before the Chinese Communist Party came into being. The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing is more than a showcase of the Chinese government. It is a coming-out party for the Chinese.
About the Author
Yuan-tsung was born in China, and immigrated to USA in 1972. Her first book, THE DRAGON’S VILLAGE, (was published by Pantheon, and) its Penguin paperback sells an average of 3,000 copies per year since 1981. Her latest book (nonfiction), RETURN TO THE MIDDLE KINGDOM, is now available through the Union Square Press of Sterling Publishing. Visit Yuan-tsung Chen.

Submitted By: Yuan-tsung Chen

The history of swimming goes way back to that of prehistoric times. Books written from 2000 to 1500 BC including the Bible have references to swimming. It was mostly used in these times as a means of cleansing. Any form of competitive swimming wasn’t formed until the 1800’s in Europe. It was included in the first Olympics in 1896 in Athens, Greece.

It was noted that Ancient Egypt had cave drawings of humans swimming in the nearby sea. They often depicted a form of the breaststroke as the first type of swimming or something they used to call the front crawl. Ancient Egyptian, Grecian and Roman palaces were often equipped with swimming pools or baths. Often reserved for the elite that used them as relaxation pools and cleaning tubs.

It is noted by historians that swimming was also often used in battle. The Greeks were often regarded as solid swimmers and at the Battle of Salamis after a number of both Greek and Persian boats were destroyed it was said that all of the Persians drowned due to their inability to swim while the Greek prevailed.

The history of swimming is much easier to understand than other sports. Without any equipment to speak of an individual can take to the waters. Obviously those countries that had the most access to water were the first to adapt to swimming. History did not have the spreading of the sport as many other sports had encountered because it was basically already available. You either adopted swimming as a means of life or you just chose not to swim.

The evolution of swimming history expanded during the middle ages. A number of individuals took it upon themselves to write books about swimming. They were often focused on the ability to not drown rather than a perfect backstroke as you would imagine. Life saving concepts and techniques began to form throughout the next few hundred years and around the 18th and 19th century the sport began to evolve into more of a competition than just life safety. Swimming Associations and Clubs popped up all over the world. Some of the first in swimming history were in China, Sweden and Germany.

Schools began to believe that swimming was a natural part of any life education. Therefore, they began to teach swimming in schools not just as a life safety course but as an extracurricular activity. Schools and Universities began to adopt these practices and set up clubs and swim teams. Competitions began to arise around the mid 1800’s. England was the first to modernize the sport and incorporate an indoor swimming pool with a swim team. They began to formulate new swimming styles including the sidestroke. Shortly after this, variations of the freestyle began to form and credit can’t really be given to one person as so many were responsible for developing this technique.

The Olympic Games of 1896 in Athens was the first real platform for the sport. There only men competed in a number of events. Throughout the 1900’s the sport evolved and saw a number of stars arise. Johnny Weissmuller, the original Tarzan completed his ten year career by never losing a race and winning five Olympic medals.

Science and technology began to play a part in the sport throughout the 1900’s as well. When scientist and coaches began studying swimmers and there underwater techniques to improve times. The swimsuits began to change as well as any form of resistance was under scrutiny from all competitors. Goggles, swim caps and different variations of training have all evolved as well. The US has seen its share of great Olympians going back to Mark Spitz who won seven gold medals in the 1972 Olympics.

The sport has evolved to a very competitive and fun sport for anyone. That has always been the great appeal that anyone can swim and we have been for the past 3000 years…So goes the history of swimming.

Author: RecruitCity

Currently there are many different types of sportswear available to the public. These items range from jumpers to t-shirts to football boots and cover a wide range of sports that are on offer for today’s person.

Due to the leap in technology in the past few years there has never been more of a selection of clothing for the average sportsperson. These new technological advances used include new fibres for clothing that make them lighter and stretch to the athlete’s body a lot easier than before. This allows the person to have more freedom in his/her movement and get less bogged down from the weight advantages. With the 2008 Beijing Olympics coming up, many people are looking to the manufacturers to see what clothing they are bringing out to give all the athletes that split one hundredth of a second advantage over the other competitors.

One of the most anticipated sets of clothing is the new swimsuits that will be used in all of the swimming events of the Olympics. Because swimming is such an important event in the Olympic Games, a little advantage can mean the difference between winning and losing. This is the main stage where sportswear comes into its own.

Using the latest NASA technology and the help of the top shark experts, a company has produced a swimsuit for athletes that’s fabric emulates that of a shark skin as much as possible. This enables the swimmer to have less drag through the water allowing him/her to be more ’slippery’ when swimming. This allows the swimmer to achieve more speed and be more agile when competing.
Another great example of sportswear that is being introduced for athletes are all in one running suits.

Scientists have developed the idea of using a very light and stretchy fibre that ‘moulds’ to the runners body. It has been proven by scientists that this new all in one suit has 1lb less drag than standard running gear and this means there is less pulling the athlete back and allows the athlete to glide through the air at a faster rate. On a standard 100 metre sprint it was shown that an athlete can gain 12cm advantage over his competitors using this new suit.

Recently a new type of Rugby shirt has been introduced to allow rugby players more of an advantage. They have become tighter fitting to the player so as to not allow the opposing players to be able to get a good grip and to grab hold of the shirt and pull the player back.

Also recently a new fibre called Sensura has been released to allow sportswear to be more durable and comfortable. This fibre is currently only in production in the USA but many companies in Europe are seeing this opportunity and are trying to incorporate it into their new range of fabrics. This allows the sports person to be able to have free movement as well as the fabric being very soft on the skin and comfortable when wearing it. Also because all sportswear needs to be washed very often the fabric has been developed to be shrink resistant.

Many of these fibres have different uses in the world of sport, but one of the most important sports to have great clothing is sailing. This is because the clothing needs to be light and durable as well as stretchy because of the movement involved in racing sailing boats and the activities involved. It needs to be tight fitting and not baggy because wind resistance in the clothing needs to be down to none. This allows no distractions to the sailor when sailing with his t-shirt, for example, blowing around in his face.

Author: Catherine Harvey

This August (8th-24th) sees Beijing, China, hosting the games of the X X I X Olympiad. Below is listed a potted history of the Olympic games from 1960 to date including a few interesting facts about each games.

Rome 1960
Rome had been chosen to stage the 1908 Games, but the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in southern Italy had intervened. It was some 52 years later that the Games finally arrived in the Italian capital. The Rome games were broadcast by television to all European countries and were watched by millions. However, the competitions themselves were overshadowed by the rivalry between the US and the USSR. In the final medal table the USSR finished ahead of the US by 43 to 34 gold medals.

Olympic Highlights
Running barefoot, Ethiopian athlete Abebe Bikila did not go unnoticed when he entered the marathon. He refused to be daunted by the condescending remarks and left all his opponents behind to cross the finishing line victorious, near Constantine’s triumphal arch.

Aged 20, Wilma Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold athletics medals in one Olympiad: in the 100m, 200m and 4×100m relay. She achieved this extraordinary feat despite suffering from a string of childhood illnesses and recovering from a deformed leg caused by polio.

Cassius Marcellus Clay, later known as Muhammed Ali first came to international prominence by winning the light-heavyweight gold medal. He would later turn professional and embark on a phenomenal career.

Tokyo 1964
For the first time, the Olympic Games were hosted in Asia, Japan invested heavily in the most modern sports facilities as well as in improving the infrastructure of a city containing over 10 million people.

The extraordinary architectural design of the swimming stadium led to it being described as a “cathedral of sports”. Other outstanding new buildings included the judo hall, which was modelled on the architectural style of traditional Japanese temples.

The opening ceremony offered a glimpse into how record-breaking the competition would be, when teams from 93 nations (10 more than participated in Rome) paraded into the Meiji Stadium. However, the high standards set by athletes at the Tokyo Games led some critics to warn about exaggerated expectations for the future development of the Olympic disciplines.

Olympic Highlights
Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser won her third successive gold medal in the 100m freestyle. She was the first woman swimmer to win eight medals (four gold and four silver) - over three Olympics.

Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina added six more medals to her tally, becoming the first woman to win nine Olympic gold medals.

Deszo Gyarmati won gold with the Hungarian water polo team, thus achieving the (then) unique feat of winning medals at five successive Olympic Games

Mexico City 1968
Mexico City’s high altitude - almost 2,240m (7,350ft) above sea level dominated much of the pre-Games discussion: the consensus being that athletes from lowland countries would be at a disadvantage. However several weeks of high-altitude training enhanced the performances of many of these athletes.

There were violent riots in the run-up to the Games, following complaints about the exorbitant amounts of money being invested in Olympic facilities in contrast to Mexico’s own social problems.

Controversy also arose over South Africa’s participation at these Games and the IOC withdrew its invitation under pressure. Doping controls were introduced for the first time and a Swedish athlete was disqualified for having too much alcohol in his bloodstream.

Olympic Highlights
American Bob Beamon was the favourite in the long jump but he exceeded all expectations. His jump of 8.90m beat the world record by 0.55m.

Czech gymnast Vera Caslavska won four gold and two silver medals. These victories were given extra significance by beating the Soviet gymnasts shortly after Soviet tanks had invaded her homeland.

American Debbie Meyer became the first woman swimmer to win three individual gold medals at one Olympic Games.

Munich 1972
The 1972 Munich Games were the largest yet, setting records in all categories, with 195 events and 7,134 athletes from 121 nations. The Games were supposed to celebrate peace, and for the first 10 days all went well.

But in the early morning of 5 September, eight Palestinian terrorists broke into the Olympic village, killed two members of the Israeli team, and took nine more hostage. In the ensuing battle, all nine Israeli hostages were killed, along with five of the terrorists, and one policeman.

The Olympics were suspended and a memorial service was held in the main stadium. In defiance of the terrorists, the International Olympic Committee ordered the competitions to resume after a pause of 34 hours. All other details about the Munich Games paled in significance.

Olympic Highlights
Finnish distance runner Lasse Viren fell halfway through the 10,000m final, but still set a new world record to win the first of his four career gold medals.

The media star of the Munich Games was the petite Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut, whose three gold medals helped establish Soviet dominance in the female gymnastics events and captured the attention of fans worldwide.

Montreal 1976
The 1976 Montreal Games were marred by the boycott of 22 African nations protesting the fact that despite the New Zealand rugby team touring South Africa in defiance of international sporting sanctions, New Zealand was still allowed to compete. To compound the situation, the host nation suffered an unusually long winter, industrial disputes, and a lack of funds, which made it impossible to finish work on the Olympic facilities in time for the opening ceremony.

However, the performances of the athletes did not suffer from the political and national disputes. Despite the problems, the Games were well organized and, following the 1972 terrorist attack in Munich, security was tight.

Olympic Highlights
Nadia Comaneci was the star of the Games. She achieved her first perfect 10 on the uneven parallel bars, and the judges awarded her the maximum mark seven times.

With his victory in platform diving, Italian Klaus Dibiasi became the first Olympic diver to win three successive gold medals, and to win medals in four Olympic Games.

The US and East Germany dominated the swimming events. Only Great Britain’s David Wilkie and the Soviet Union’s Marina Koshevaya (both winning their 200m finals in record times) upset the monopoly.

Moscow 1980
As a result of the US-led boycott in protest at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, only 80 countries were represented at the Moscow Games. : Notable absentees included Japan, West Germany, and the US.

Western countries have frequently referred to the Moscow Games as being of a low standard, and have raised doubts about the sporting value of the results and medals. Nonetheless, although not of the highest calibre, the Moscow Games were hardly sub-standard: 36 world records, 39 European records, and 73 Olympic records bore testimony to the high level of talent and competition on display.

Olympic Highlights
Soviet swimmer Vladimir Salnikov won three gold medals: in the 400m and 1,500m freestyle, and 4×200m relay. He was also the first to swim 1,500m in a time of less than 15 minutes.

British middle-distance runners Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe faced each other in two memorable duels. In the 800m, Ovett won the gold medal just ahead of his compatriot. Six days later, a determined Coe redeemed himself in the 1,500m, taking gold while Ovett could only manage bronze.

By winning the decathlon, Great Britain’s Daley Thompson became “king of the athletes”, beating home crowd favourite Yuri Kutsenko into second place.

Los Angeles 1984
Although a revenge boycott led by the Soviet Union depleted the field in certain sports, a record 140 nations took part in the first privately funded tournament in Olympic history.

More than 30 sponsors together contributed more than $500 million, while other companies funded the building of new sports facilities, in a deal that allowed them to advertise on the admission tickets.

The ABC television network paid $225 million for the exclusive television rights, thereby ensuring that most events started in the evenings during prime television time in the US. With these vast amounts of money involved, many critics held the view that what had once been a festival of amateur sport was now a purely commercial spectacle.

Olympic Highlights
American diver Greg Louganis remained unbeaten from the 3m springboard as well as from the 10m platform.
Sebastian Coe became the first repeat winner of the men’s 1,500m.

In the women’s 400m hurdles, Nawal El Moutawakel led from start to finish, becoming the first Moroccan athlete to win a gold medal.

British decathlete gold medallist Daley Thompson finished just one point off the world record.

About the Author:

Olympic Games You may not always agree with my writings but I hope to inform. Harwood E Woodpecker

Author: Harwood E Woodpecker