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Duct Tape at the Olympics

Jackalgirl

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I've noticed that two of the Chinese swimmers have pieces of duct tape on their swim suits. I just saw (since the tape wasn't big enough) that it appears to be covering up the Speedo logo. Does anyone have any information about this? Is it a commentary against commercialism? Or is it a legal thing regarding sponsorship? What's up with that?
 
Jackalgirl said:
I've noticed that two of the Chinese swimmers have pieces of duct tape on their swim suits. I just saw (since the tape wasn't big enough) that it appears to be covering up the Speedo logo. Does anyone have any information about this? Is it a commentary against commercialism? Or is it a legal thing regarding sponsorship? What's up with that?
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i didn't see the duct tape on the Chinese swimmers, but there was something odd on the shoulder of one of USA female beach volleyball players.
it was a black design, sort of a free form. :confused:
 
Personally, I haven't got a clue, although I suspect its got to do with any appearance of sponsorship. Chinese athletes are generally required to give 50% of any/all sponsorship and endorsement fees to their relevant sport administration. I'd guess that having a particular logo showing could lead to questions of whether or not they're being paid to endorse that product.

But that's just a guess.
 
snoop_doxie said:
i didn't see the duct tape on the Chinese swimmers, but there was something odd on the shoulder of one of USA female beach volleyball players.
it was a black design, sort of a free form. :confused:
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I believe she had a shoulder injury/recent surgery IIRC.

What I found funny was an American male beach volleyball player continued to wear sunglasses even after the lenses apparently fell out :p. The announcer said it might have to do with sponsorship.
 
I did hear that some athletes, under contract to one swimsuit manufacturer, are swimming in Speedos because of the new LAZR (or whatever) suit; their sponsors cannot match that suit for speed, so they have an out in their contracts. If these athletes are some you saw, that might explain it. I did not see it, myself, but will now be looking more closely.
 
Wolfman said:
Personally, I haven't got a clue, although I suspect its got to do with any appearance of sponsorship. Chinese athletes are generally required to give 50% of any/all sponsorship and endorsement fees to their relevant sport administration. I'd guess that having a particular logo showing could lead to questions of whether or not they're being paid to endorse that product.

But that's just a guess.
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Hmmmmm, interesting. I thought maybe it had something to do with ideology, but rather suspected money was the ultimate issue. Fifty percent, huh?

Is there a lot of corruption with these sport administrations, do you know, or does the money usually go back into the athletes' training?
 
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Jackalgirl said:
Hmmmmm, interesting. I thought maybe it had something to do with ideology, but rather suspected money was the ultimate issue. Fifty percent, huh?

Is there a lot of corruption with these sport administrations, do you know, or does the money usually go back into the athletes' training?
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In the majority of cases, it goes back into training. It is one of the major ways of funding and providing incentive for different sports federations to provide the best-quality training. If their athletes become top stars and get endorsement deals, then the sport federation will benefit also. It is considered to be the athlete's repayment for all the time and money that the country spent on them. The only exception to this -- and a fairly rare one in China -- is the athlete who trains themselves, and receives no help or assistance from a national sports federation. It is considered to be te
 
I did read about this issue a long time ago. If a sportsperson gives publicity to an organization they it is reasonable to receive something in return (money). If they were clothing that has a logo on it and they are not expecting to get something in return they will cover up the logo.
 
snoop_doxie said:
i didn't see the duct tape on the Chinese swimmers, but there was something odd on the shoulder of one of USA female beach volleyball players.
it was a black design, sort of a free form. :confused:
Click to expand...

It seems to be a product called kenesio tape, designed to promote stability and increase circulation. First part: maybe. Second part: sounds like woo to me, except if it insulates enough to act like a warm compress.

Here is another link, to the manufacturer's web site.

As for the duct tape seems to be a sponsorship thing. The Chinese, it would appear, do not want any logos of non-Olympic sponsors to be broadcast:

Goofy as it may be, it’s common for journalists at the Olympics to be told to tape over the logos on their computers if they’re not made by the company that happens to be the official laptop supplier of the Olympic Games. But someone at the Main Press Centre has taken it to another level by placing small strips of grey duct tape over the logo of the urinals in the men’s washrooms. We kid you not. American Standard apparently isn’t the official toilet of the Olympics. Or maybe somebody doesn’t like Americans, which is kinda hard to believe in China. Isn’t it?
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What would I do without the internet?
 
Wolfman said:
The only exception to this -- and a fairly rare one in China -- is the athlete who trains themselves, and receives no help or assistance from a national sports federation. It is considered to be te
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Oh no, someone kidnapped Wolfman in the middle of a sentence! :eye-poppi:eye-poppi
 
Tanja said:
Oh no, someone kidnapped Wolfman in the middle of a sentence! :eye-poppi:eye-poppi
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Let's just hope the Chinese secret police have not caught wind of this thread. They are ruthless in suppressing disse
 
Being China, that wasn't normal duct tape you saw. It was Crispy Duct tape.

(Boo.. hiss.. get off)
 
It's only fair that China show the sponsorship of Duct Tape, which is what's holding together their western bits these days.
 
Jackalgirl said:
I've noticed that two of the Chinese swimmers have pieces of duct tape on their swim suits. I just saw (since the tape wasn't big enough) that it appears to be covering up the Speedo logo. Does anyone have any information about this? Is it a commentary against commercialism? Or is it a legal thing regarding sponsorship? What's up with that?
Click to expand...

They're probably supposed to be wearing a rivals suit, but since the speedo LAZR suit is far and away the best they switched. They're probably trying to hide the switch so their sponsers don't get pissed off.
 
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