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Olympic Standards
- Kathryn
- Sep 6, 2016
- 6 min read
Updated: May 15, 2023
The Olympics captured and grew the Nation’s attention for three weeks in August. Collectively. Quite remarkable considering ‘what happened in June’, as Dad discussed in his last post. I was one of many engrossed when Peaty broke his own 100m breaststroke world record, enjoying the celebration and unity that came with it. It was only after the continuation of such phenomenal feats and Team GB wins that I stopped to consider this success beyond the simple, well deserved joy and pride in winning. It wasn’t long before I realised there is a huge amount that can be learnt from Olympians - and not just their talent and dedication. A lot of this can be applied to innovation in business, which is of course exactly what I will go on to discuss here. I’ve divided these learnings into the rational and the emotional. First, the importance of training and the impact of tech developments on performance; then the psychology of winning and power of unity.
Train. Hard.
Perhaps an obvious one - training hard leads to results. It’s all about preparation and working your socks off. The BBC documentary about Mo Farah pre his epic double double, was an eye-opener. We all ‘knew’ he put a lot in, but this thirty minute summary gave us a taste of exactly how far he goes. From being away from his family for a total of six months every year, to sleeping in an altitude tent and running on underwater treadmills - he does it all. All in the name of those astonishing gold medals he so deserves.
Similarly, innovation requires a lot of background preparation, research, practise, work. New pieces of technology may feel like they routinely crop up, but what we forget is that, like that moment when Mo crossed the finish line, new apps and pieces of tech are often years in the making. Pokemon Go took almost two years to move from the idea to launch. Even Apple Pay took almost two years from partnering with Visa, AMEX and Mastercard to its initial launch in the US in October 2014, and existed even longer in conceptual stages.
It is testament to the fact that investment in development processes are crucial to refining either yourself and your ability (athletes) or a product (inventions) - and that's how the very best ones arise. In short - work work work.
Technology to Enhance
It seems appropriate to draw attention to some phenomenal pieces of technology used in Rio that have never before featured in the Olympics. The successful ones legally helped to enhance performance without making headlines. They acted to streamline natural ability, rather than to override it. Take Nike AeroBlades - arm and leg 'sleeves' that act to reduce wind resistance, thus allowing maximum speed. Or Omega's underwater lap counters - which, displayed on the floor of pools allowed swimmers to keep track of their progress without having to look up and lose valuable milliseconds.
The viewing experience was also enhanced - Google produced profiles of athletes and useful up-to-date news that appeared at the top of search results for any Olympic related query. They partnered with various broadcasters to allow YouTube streaming in over 60 countries. They even launched a 360 degree video that granted insight into the Favelas, some of the most notorious and famously 'unmapped' areas of Rio. It meant that the viewing public could grasp as much as possible about both the Olympic events themselves, but also a taste of their close surroundings and atmosphere. Google showcased Rio globally in a way that no Olympic city has ever been seen.
Aside from 'that' green pool, the technology that was used allowed the athletes to be as focussed as possible. It helped enable their success both by fine tuning their environment and enhancing emotional support. To me, this is exactly what invention should strive for: to enable and enrich life experiences and achievements. After all, communicating to real human needs is at the heart of any piece of tech success. I believe Pokemon Go succeeded because it used VR technology to marry addictive nostalgia (for the game itself) and companionship (playing with others), specifically launched in summer months (when being outdoors is so appealing). It showed how tech can connect with human needs and accentuate lives in some way - whether through reducing friction on the track or allowing gaming to be both active and social.
Winning Determination
Breaking records may in itself seem physical, but at its heart earning a gold medal in the Olympics comes down to the hungry desire to win, and in the case of world records, a desire to be the best. Of course, training and technology play a role in this - Mo’s training regime reveals that no matter how good we consider ourselves to be, not all of us train at altitude for six months of the year and even fewer sleep in a reduced oxygen chamber. And why not? Some would say they don’t have the time or the money. The reality is that before he hit-the-big-time Mo decided to be a winner. The he invested every ounce of his energy in working towards it. Easy to forget when all we see is him crossing the finish line.
While I have no doubt this extraordinary drive to succeed is the main driver to Mo’s success (and the success of every other Olympian) the role of improved training and technology complicates public perception. So much so the Financial Times was prompted to consider exactly why so many swimming records were being broken at Rio this year - across the board, not just by Phelps and his extraordinary feet. While I agree that the ethics behind this is complicated - (why is blood doping illegal if state of the art swimwear is not?) - I believe the primal desire to win cannot be matched or ever replaced by enhanced cycling goggles. True winners will work harder than anyone else simply because they are utterly passionate about their goal. After all, once upon a time we all thought running the 100m in under 10 seconds was physically impossible, and yet now we’re talking about 9 seconds, all because of a certain Mr. Bolt. Who knows what will happen next.
The biggest and most important learning for invention, is that a hunger for success will drive a long way - much further than rational tech and intelligence can in isolation. Breaking a record is doing something that has never been done before, and above all it requires huge passion and motivation. When you consider that fact that invention at it's core is exactly that - the learning is obvious.
The Power of Unity
Regardless of the current political situation in the UK, it would be difficult to find a Brit who was not proud of the accomplishments of Team GB Olympians in Rio. In the wake of Brexit this is even more remarkable - a divided nation was able to briefly become one again in celebration of our champions. The learning here for invention is thus quite simple - that the most powerful pieces of technology, those that will be celebrated publicly, as clichéd as it sounds, bring people together.
One of my strongest held beliefs (a learning and influence from Dad) is about the human need for sociability, each person to a different degree. No-one could ever be happy in complete isolation. What would success be if you had no-one to share it with? It means that winning at the Olympics, as well as personal fulfilment, is driven at least in part by a hunger for communal celebration and recognition. Mo’s happiness is doubled, trebled multiple times over by the support he receives from his family, friends and country. Already a driven person, how could that not help to enhance his performance - especially during his infamous final lap?
The Olympics is thus a shining example of the power of unity and how invention that allows for connection - is more likely to be a success. I think that's the challenge for new technology like VR and AI - how to be authentic and enhance, rather than replace current life experiences.
Onwards
And these shining examples are not over yet. The Paralympics are just around the corner. For now, let’s turn our heads to the Superhumans (bravo 4Creative) about to take Rio by storm and continue to give our athletes the last of the fuel they need - emotional confirmation and support of their goal.
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