今回は簡易更新(汗)。
現在開催中のソチ冬季五輪で、米国のスピードスケート代表が競技用スーツの変更を申し出た。
理由は、今回のスピードスケートにおける米国代表の成績不振らしいが・・・。
・米スピード、元のスーツに変更 成績不振でハイテク脱ぐ(2014年2月15日 47news.jp)
タイトルが若干危険な気がしないでもないこの話。
以下、2014年2月15日分 47news.jp『米スピード~』を全文(略
---- 以下引用 ----
【ソチ共同】
ソチ冬季五輪スピードスケートで成績不振の米国代表は15日、五輪用に開発した高性能レーシングスーツをやめ、今季のワールドカップ(W杯)などで着用していたものに戻すことを決めた。国際スケート連盟に申請している。
米国は、戦闘機などを手がける米ロッキード・マーチン社が誇る流体力学のノウハウを取り入れた先鋭的なスーツを導入。
しかし前半の6種目を終え、女子1000メートルで優勝候補だったヘザー・リチャードソンの7位が最高だった。
米国の“最新作”は、オランダのスーツ担当者が「本当に速いかは分からない」と疑問を投げかけるなど大会前から話題を呼んでいた。
---- 引用以上 ----
↓問題の競技用スーツの画像は以下参照。
・Under Armour, Lockheed Martin design US speed skating suits(略)(2014年1月17日 PhilHecken@twitter.com)
この妙なダサさが味わい深い競技用スーツに関して、当のロッキード・マーチン社と開発に協力したアンダーアーマー(Under Armour)社は自信たっぷりに語っていた。
・U.S. Speedskating finds edge with high-tech engineered skins(2014年1月16日 cnn.com)
以下、2014年1月16日分 cnn.com『U.S. Speedskating finds~』から、アンダーアーマー社の専務だか常務だかのケヴィン・ハーレー(Kevin M. HALEY)氏のコメント部分を(略
---- 以下引用 ----
(中略)
"By partnering with Lockheed Martin we brought in an organization with 60,000 engineers," Kevin Haley, Under Armour's senior vice president of innovation told SI.com.
"Although we don't need all 60,000, they have the right experts to do modeling and fluid dynamics off motion-capture filming. There is a level of expertise and brain power that has never been dedicated to a uniform before."
And the results proved highly technical in the Under Armour Mach 39 Speedskating Skin, the first speed skating uniform from the Baltimore-based company.
Redesigning the skin focused solely on full-body aerodynamics.
Using Lockheed Martin's expertise during a two-year research and testing program, engineers employed high-speed cameras to help create computational fluid dynamic models that analyzed how air flowed around the skater during key body positions.
Coupled with over 300 hours of wind-tunnel testing on reinforced fiberglass mannequins with hundreds of different skins setups and textile configurations, the research allowed designers to zero in -- down to the millimeter, actually -- on exactly how and where to build the new suit.
"We were hoping for a technological improvement that would be measurable and nobody thought we'd be able to show measurable improvement over 1,000 meters," Haley said.
"It appears that is what we've achieved."
(以下略)
---- 引用以上 ----
だが、HALEY氏の発言も虚しく、この競技用スーツはその性能を見せつけることなくお払い箱となってしまった。
そして、コーチ陣や競技用スーツの開発者達は弁明に追われていた。
・U.S. speed skaters struggle: Are high-tech suits to blame?(2014年2月14日 cbsnews.com)
以下、2014年2月14日分 cbsnews.com『U.S. speed skaters struggle~』から中盤部分を(略
---- 以下引用 ----
(中略)
U.S. coaches scrambled to defend the suits, even while an effort was underway to get the International Skating Union to allow American skaters to switch back to their previously approved suits if they wanted.
"The evidence does not suggest that the suits have contributed to the disappointing results to date," USA Speed Skating Executive Director Ted Morris said in a statement that was emailed to CBS News.
"However, there are many factors that determine Olympic success and we are constantly making adjustments to improve results."
Under Armour also provided a statement from Kevin Haley, the Senior Vice President of Innovation.
"While a multitude of factors ultimately determine on-ice success, many skaters have posted personal-best sea-level heat times, split times or race times this week, and we're rooting for that to translate into medals over these next couple of days," he said.
A team of Under Armour scientists is on site in Sochi, working with the athletes on any last-minute adjustments.
"Under Armour will continue to partner with USA Speed Skating throughout the Sochi competition to help ensure these incredible athletes are best positioned to skate with confidence and capture a spot on the podium," he said.
Richardson has already made some low-tech alterations to her new suit.
"They did adjust one part on the back, but it was just putting rubber over the mesh there," she said after a hugely disappointing performance in the 1,000, a race she dominated during the World Cup season.
"It had no effect, really."
(以下略)
---- 引用以上 ----
そもそも、競技用スーツだけが米国のスピードスケート代表の成績不振の原因とは思えない。けど・・・
その辺りは、選手が一番理解してるのかもしれない。
以下、2014年2月14日分 cbsnews.com『U.S. speed skaters struggle~』から男子スピードスケート1000mに出場したシャーニ・デービス(Shani DAVIS)選手と今回の男子スピードスケート500mで金メダルを獲得したミヘル・ムルダー(Michel MULDER)選手のコメント部分を(略
---- 以下引用 ----
(中略)
As a U.S. Speedskating media official tried to hustle Davis out of the mixed zone, he stopped to answer another question.
"It's not their fault," he told the official, indicating he didn't mind the reporters' questions on the suits, which clearly have become a major issue within the team.
Carpenter scoffed at the notion that the suits are the only reason for the American struggles.
"The human factor is by far the largest piece out there," he said.
"There's not an athlete out there who is slowing down a second per lap because of the suit they're in. What is it: a parachute on their back? There are guys out there in low-technology suits. The Germans are out there ... in mostly Lycra suits with some rubber, and they're wiping us all over the place."
While the Americans haven't come close to the podium, the Dutch have captured 12 of 18 speedskating medals, including four golds.
"It could also be," said Michel Mulder, who led a Dutch sweep of the medals in the men's 500, "that they were just outclassed here."
---- 引用以上 ----
策士策に溺れる(Craft brings nothing home)、って奴?(違)
現在開催中のソチ冬季五輪で、米国のスピードスケート代表が競技用スーツの変更を申し出た。
理由は、今回のスピードスケートにおける米国代表の成績不振らしいが・・・。
・米スピード、元のスーツに変更 成績不振でハイテク脱ぐ(2014年2月15日 47news.jp)
タイトルが若干危険な気がしないでもないこの話。
以下、2014年2月15日分 47news.jp『米スピード~』を全文(略
---- 以下引用 ----
【ソチ共同】
ソチ冬季五輪スピードスケートで成績不振の米国代表は15日、五輪用に開発した高性能レーシングスーツをやめ、今季のワールドカップ(W杯)などで着用していたものに戻すことを決めた。国際スケート連盟に申請している。
米国は、戦闘機などを手がける米ロッキード・マーチン社が誇る流体力学のノウハウを取り入れた先鋭的なスーツを導入。
しかし前半の6種目を終え、女子1000メートルで優勝候補だったヘザー・リチャードソンの7位が最高だった。
米国の“最新作”は、オランダのスーツ担当者が「本当に速いかは分からない」と疑問を投げかけるなど大会前から話題を呼んでいた。
---- 引用以上 ----
↓問題の競技用スーツの画像は以下参照。
・Under Armour, Lockheed Martin design US speed skating suits(略)(2014年1月17日 PhilHecken@twitter.com)
この妙なダサさが味わい深い競技用スーツに関して、当のロッキード・マーチン社と開発に協力したアンダーアーマー(Under Armour)社は自信たっぷりに語っていた。
・U.S. Speedskating finds edge with high-tech engineered skins(2014年1月16日 cnn.com)
以下、2014年1月16日分 cnn.com『U.S. Speedskating finds~』から、アンダーアーマー社の専務だか常務だかのケヴィン・ハーレー(Kevin M. HALEY)氏のコメント部分を(略
---- 以下引用 ----
(中略)
"By partnering with Lockheed Martin we brought in an organization with 60,000 engineers," Kevin Haley, Under Armour's senior vice president of innovation told SI.com.
"Although we don't need all 60,000, they have the right experts to do modeling and fluid dynamics off motion-capture filming. There is a level of expertise and brain power that has never been dedicated to a uniform before."
And the results proved highly technical in the Under Armour Mach 39 Speedskating Skin, the first speed skating uniform from the Baltimore-based company.
Redesigning the skin focused solely on full-body aerodynamics.
Using Lockheed Martin's expertise during a two-year research and testing program, engineers employed high-speed cameras to help create computational fluid dynamic models that analyzed how air flowed around the skater during key body positions.
Coupled with over 300 hours of wind-tunnel testing on reinforced fiberglass mannequins with hundreds of different skins setups and textile configurations, the research allowed designers to zero in -- down to the millimeter, actually -- on exactly how and where to build the new suit.
"We were hoping for a technological improvement that would be measurable and nobody thought we'd be able to show measurable improvement over 1,000 meters," Haley said.
"It appears that is what we've achieved."
(以下略)
---- 引用以上 ----
だが、HALEY氏の発言も虚しく、この競技用スーツはその性能を見せつけることなくお払い箱となってしまった。
そして、コーチ陣や競技用スーツの開発者達は弁明に追われていた。
・U.S. speed skaters struggle: Are high-tech suits to blame?(2014年2月14日 cbsnews.com)
以下、2014年2月14日分 cbsnews.com『U.S. speed skaters struggle~』から中盤部分を(略
---- 以下引用 ----
(中略)
U.S. coaches scrambled to defend the suits, even while an effort was underway to get the International Skating Union to allow American skaters to switch back to their previously approved suits if they wanted.
"The evidence does not suggest that the suits have contributed to the disappointing results to date," USA Speed Skating Executive Director Ted Morris said in a statement that was emailed to CBS News.
"However, there are many factors that determine Olympic success and we are constantly making adjustments to improve results."
Under Armour also provided a statement from Kevin Haley, the Senior Vice President of Innovation.
"While a multitude of factors ultimately determine on-ice success, many skaters have posted personal-best sea-level heat times, split times or race times this week, and we're rooting for that to translate into medals over these next couple of days," he said.
A team of Under Armour scientists is on site in Sochi, working with the athletes on any last-minute adjustments.
"Under Armour will continue to partner with USA Speed Skating throughout the Sochi competition to help ensure these incredible athletes are best positioned to skate with confidence and capture a spot on the podium," he said.
Richardson has already made some low-tech alterations to her new suit.
"They did adjust one part on the back, but it was just putting rubber over the mesh there," she said after a hugely disappointing performance in the 1,000, a race she dominated during the World Cup season.
"It had no effect, really."
(以下略)
---- 引用以上 ----
そもそも、競技用スーツだけが米国のスピードスケート代表の成績不振の原因とは思えない。けど・・・
その辺りは、選手が一番理解してるのかもしれない。
以下、2014年2月14日分 cbsnews.com『U.S. speed skaters struggle~』から男子スピードスケート1000mに出場したシャーニ・デービス(Shani DAVIS)選手と今回の男子スピードスケート500mで金メダルを獲得したミヘル・ムルダー(Michel MULDER)選手のコメント部分を(略
---- 以下引用 ----
(中略)
As a U.S. Speedskating media official tried to hustle Davis out of the mixed zone, he stopped to answer another question.
"It's not their fault," he told the official, indicating he didn't mind the reporters' questions on the suits, which clearly have become a major issue within the team.
Carpenter scoffed at the notion that the suits are the only reason for the American struggles.
"The human factor is by far the largest piece out there," he said.
"There's not an athlete out there who is slowing down a second per lap because of the suit they're in. What is it: a parachute on their back? There are guys out there in low-technology suits. The Germans are out there ... in mostly Lycra suits with some rubber, and they're wiping us all over the place."
While the Americans haven't come close to the podium, the Dutch have captured 12 of 18 speedskating medals, including four golds.
"It could also be," said Michel Mulder, who led a Dutch sweep of the medals in the men's 500, "that they were just outclassed here."
---- 引用以上 ----
策士策に溺れる(Craft brings nothing home)、って奴?(違)