The Laings Journal
Long overdue, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics have finally rolled around. This month, we witnessed a fortnight of sheer strength, stamina, and dedication to the world’s sporting disciplines, all fuelled by a passion for perfection. Official timekeeper, OMEGA, have sponsored the games since 1932 –encouraging an ode to excellence from the finest international athletes. Inspired to get involved, we asked our Laings team about their favourite moments from this year’s games.
A commitment to Camaraderie
“As an ex-athlete, I am an adoring fan of the Olympics, watching as much as I can when I can. Observing sportspeople at the top of their game is an absolute joy for me and I truly appreciate the emotional journey involved. This year, I have loved watching the sports that are not normally as popular such as table tennis and skateboarding. In particular, the wall climbing has been truly inspiring to watch. It was simply heart-warming to see the athletes from competing countries work together to seek out the most challenging routes to the peak while pushing themselves to the absolute limit. I am super proud of team GB and what they have achieved this year, made even more special by the tough time that we’ve all had recently.” Debbie McKernan, Sales Executive and Diamond Expert.
A Test of Team Spirit
“I am overwhelmed with awe each and every Olympic games. The combination of endurance, strength and grit to keep going when your limbs are screaming ‘stop’ is exhilarating. My favourite of the events has been the rowing. With a little exemption this year, Great Britain usually performs wonderfully, tackling ruthless weather conditions and outperforming their international counterparts. Although the Men’s Fours Race was a little savage, aiming straight for the Italian competitor, the excitement of rowing makes it impossible to stop watching. I thoroughly look forward to Paris 2024 and expect just as much thrill and surprise.” – Hannah De Bisset, Business Development Executive.
Technical Perfection
“Artistic gymnastics at the Olympics was interesting to say the least – there were many unexpected moments that nobody could have predicted! For those who don’t know how the sport works, the rules change after each quad to encourage individuality and innovation. The delayed Olympics and extra year allowed mastery of the code and we saw some incredible skills in warmups, but so many didn’t make it to the competition floor due to varying factors.
The big story of the games was Simone Biles’ case of the twisties, meaning she had to pull out of all bar one of the women’s finals – Balance Beam. This left the door open to other competitors to medal and we saw a fantastic spread of podium finishes from less represented countries such as Brazil and South Korea. Overall, Simone’s experience with the twisties – brought on by the pressure of being the face of Olympics 2020 – started some meaningful conversations around how much demand we put on athletes’ mind, body and souls, and how they – like us – are only human, after all.” – Iain Curran, Assistant Marketing Manager
Thank you for taking the time to read our round up of the 2020 Olympic Games. Follow our latest news on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube