The Olympics Are Nearly Here!

Olympic Games Message (Photo credit: chooyutshing)

Olympic Fashion

The entire country is going 2012 crazy and Olympic fever will hit fever pitch well before the games kick off in London at the end of July. Details of the torch relay which will go within 10 miles of 95% of everyone living in the UK were announced recently, and the torch will start its trip around the British Isles at the beginning of June. The sporting influence will also affect what we are wearing this summer, but as the head to toe shell suit and trainers look isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, there are a few more subtle ways to get into the sporting vibe.

Equestrian

The UK generally performs well in the equestrian events, and riding style is one of the easiest to incorporate into every day wear. Boots such as the Ariat Bromont are designed for riding, but look equally good as casual wear. Team your Ariat Bromont boots with jeans and a smart jacket, or with leggings for an even more horsey look. Riding tops and jackets don’t have to be super smart, and polo shirts and cotton tops are popular to complete the look. The key to this look is taking specific elements and teaming them with ordinary clothes to avoid getting too strong a look, as if you’d just stepped off your steed.

Official Clothing

Never missing the chance for a merchandising opportunity, the organisers of the 2012 Olympics have produced a full range of clothing for both children and adults to tie in with the Games. The tshirts, hoodies, track pants and caps might not be at the cutting edge of fashion, but they are the ideal items to wear to the gym, and keep as a memento of the time the Olympics came to the UK. Kids will love the brightly coloured tshirts with the official games mascots, whereas adults may prefer the subtle Team GB logo items.

Accessorise Olympic Style

For those not into sportswear, show your support for Team GB by wearing a badge, or buying one of the official Team GB scarves. The scarves are being sold through Next, and everyone who buys a scarf is entered into a prize draw. Red, white and blue has been a popular colour combination for many years and choosing accessories and outfits from this colour palette will help you get into the Olympic spirit while not dressing up as an Olympic athlete.

Fly the Flag

Using Union Jack motifs on clothing and accessories is nothing new, and the importance of 2012 with the Jubilee celebrations and the Olympics ensures that clothing and accessories with the Union Jack are more popular than ever. All of the major stores are producing tops, bags, belts, shoes and numerous other items which enable you to fly the flag and take pride in being British and supporting the Olympic squad. This is a great way of getting some Olympic flavour into your outfit and accessories without going the whole distance and buying the Ariat Bromont boots for the riding look, or the tracksuit in an attempt to emulate Usain Bolt.

Trot2.com offer a great range of clothing, accessories and footwear including the Ariat Bromont range of boots for equestrian and casual wear.

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How Winning A Gold Medal Can Change An Athlete’s Life

Usain Bolt in celebration about 1 or 2 seconds after his 100m victory at Beijing Olympics 2008, breaking the world record. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Legends will undoubtedly be made at the London Olympics. It’s a time when records can be broken and greatness assured. That’s why it really is the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’.

Every athlete dreams of competing in the Olympic Games. The honour of representing your country on the world stage is something we would all love to do. But as well as national pride, there is also individual glory to be won, and in some cases, lost.

Lightning Bolt

In the Beijing Olympics in 2008 there was only one name on everybody’s lips: the phenomenon that is Usain Bolt. Widely known in athletic circles before the games, it was the 100m sprint final that created the legend. Breaking the world record with an astonishing time of 9.69 seconds, Bolt could have run faster had his shoelaces been done up and had he not, somewhat unbelievably, slowed down to celebrate towards the end. He was to shatter his own record and post the superhuman 9.59 seconds two years later in Berlin.

One Giant Leap For Mankind

The Mexico Olympics in 1968 are chiefly remembered for one thing: Bob Beamon going down the runway and literally taking off at the end. His long jump of 8 feet 9 inches was incredible, setting a world record that would last for almost 25 years. Watch the video of his jump to see the visual definition of pure athleticism and grace. It became known as the ‘Leap of the Century’. Although the record was finally beaten by Mike Powell in 1991, Beamon’s monster jump still remains one of the greatest ever sporting moments.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

It wouldn’t be right, in this year of the London Olympics, to not have a Brit featured in the list. Luckily for us, this one just happens to be arguably the greatest Olympian of all time. There have been many spectacular medal hauls over the years. Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz went home with sack fulls of gold, but to win five golds from five different Olympics is something very special indeed. That’s exactly what rower Sir Steve Redgrave achieved in the 2000 Sydney games, sealing his place in the Olympic record books forever.

The Dark Side

But not all legends are created for the right reasons. In 1988 at the Seoul Olympics, Canadian Ben Johnson blistered home in a new world record pace in the 100m. But he was later found to have taken performance enhancing drugs. Stripped of his medal, Johnson’s name went down in history but for all the wrong reasons.

Thankfully, the number of positive Olympic legends far outweighs the negative and the games still represent everything that is great about sporting achievement. This year who knows what we might see. Records will undoubtedly fall, great races will be won and hopefully we will see legends being born right before our very eyes. That’s what the Olympics means, not just to the competitors, but to all of us at home watching. It’s going to be great.

Clinton Armitage was once a promising athlete until injury forced him to retire at just 16. Today he writes a regular blog on all things Olympian, sharing his love and passion for athletics with a growing online community. He lives in East London, close to the Olympic Stadium.

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Gold Medal Predictions for London 2012 Olympics

Image via Wikipedia

On the 27th July, the opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympics will welcome over 10,000 athletes from around the world.

The 2012 Summer Olympics will have 302 different events and 26 sports.

Here are some of the predictions for the Gold Medal winners of 2012.

Track and Field

Men’s 100m Sprint: Usain Bolt

Currently the world record holder for the 100m sprint, Bolt’s amazing achievements in the field of sprinting will be remembered for some time. Having announced he will probably retire from sprinting after 2012, we can be sure he has something special planned for the crowd at Olympic Park in 2012.

Men’s High Jump: Ivan Ukhov

Currently one of the strongest competitors his field, Ukhov has but one fatal weak point. He does not use proper high jumping spiked shoes, which have caused him to perform poorly in wet conditions. Providing the weather stays dry, there is no reason not to expect him to win.

Women’s 100m Sprint: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

Currently the reigning champion in the event, she is a big favourite to take gold at London 2012. Named as the UNICEF National Goodwill Ambassador for Jamaica, she is sure to have a large following of children cheering her on.

Men’s Javelin: Andreas Thorkildsen

Currently the gold medallist from Beijing, and showing no real signs of being overthrown, Thorkildsen enters the 2012 Games as the favourite. He’s thrown a javelin over 90m already, and is certainly not afraid to do so again.

Women’s Javelin: Mariya Abakumova

While not the 2008 medal winners, she has shown such strong performances in the athletics meets leading up to these next Olympics it would be difficult to look past her as a favourite. These include the 2011 World Championships where she took Gold.

Swimming

Men’s 1500m Freestyle: Sun Yang

The 19 year old from China continues to defy sense on why an endurance sport such as the 1500m freestyle can see dominance from people so young. In 2010 he broke the long held Australian dominance on the world record, and looks to be a hot favourite to win in London 2012.

Men’s 100 Butterfly: Michael Phelps

Michael Phelp’s domination of a number of swimming events will continue in 2012, as he wins a few more medals including this one. Phelp’s amazing physique is one that is nearly perfectly adapted for competitive sprint swimming. Frequently accused of banned substance usage due to his amazing performances, Phelps regularly undergoes testing and has shown pass after pass on all his drug tests.

This analysis of professional services was brought to you by HirePulse, a service linking Australian business, contractors, consultants, freelancers and professional services. Article made in conjunction with Living Online.

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