OlymPicks: Clothing Unveiled and New Sponsor "Discovered"

原创 Drew Pittock theBeijinger

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OlymPicks, we highlight news, gossip, and developments regarding the buildup to Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics.

Chinese flag to appear on Olympic sportswear for first time

Last month, titan of Chinese sportswear ANTA Sports unveiled its line of Beijing 2022-branded clothing that will not only be made available to more than 30 national teams, but the general public as well. While this doesn’t necessarily seem newsworthy on its own, this is in fact the first time that the government has made such an item of clothing bearing the Chinese flag available on such a large scale.

Dress for the job you want, not the job you have

Speaking to China Daily, ANTA executive director Zheng Jie explained, “This is the first time that we have been given permission to feature the national flag, emblem of the game, and logo of our brand to the public,” adding, “We hope that the consumers can experience the clothing that our national athletes wear and better relate to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.”

Seeing as how the fabric used to make the consumer-facing products is made from the same high quality, waterproof, and breathable material that the athletes themselves get to enjoy, the public will in fact be able to experience the clothing of an Olympic athlete. So, I guess dress for the job you want, not the job you have.

Three Beijing hotels get Olympic Family Hotel distinction

Last Tuesday, the Beijing 2022 Olympic Organizing Committee held a signing ceremony to designate three hotels – the InterContinental Beijing Beichen Hotel, V-Continent Beijing Parkview Wuzhou Hotel, and Beijing Continental Grand Hotel – as the official Olympic Family Hotels (OFH). All within walking distance of one another and a stone’s throw from 2008’s iconic Olympic Green, the three sites will act as headquarters, logistical hubs, and host to the International Olympic Committee, National Olympic Committees, and International Federations. What’s more, the InterContinental Beijing Beichen Hotel will serve in the same capacity for the Paralympics.

Although the games will take place in three different areas of the city including Yanqing and Zhangjiakou, the Olympic Green will hold a number of events such as ice hockey, curling, and speed skating. Perhaps most notably, however, it is where the Opening and Closing ceremonies will take place.

So if you happen to have friends or family visiting around this time, best not to set them up at one of these hotels. In fact, it’s probably best to avoid this area altogether.

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And the sponsorship announcement we’ve all been waiting for…

This is it, folks! We know how long you’ve been waiting for this one, and so it is with great pleasure, honor, and privilege that we get to finally announce that the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics Games have officially signed… a paint supplier?

Wait, what?!?!

Behold the glory that is Sankeshu paint

By all accounts – and according to this headline – the Olympics has never even had an official paint sponsor. In fact, that headline (if you were too lazy to click on it) says, “Beijing 2022 Discovers New Sponsorship Category.” Discovers? Where in the hell did they look?

Our skepticism notwithstanding, this is clearly a huge honor for Sankeshu, the official paint sponsor of Beijing 2022, who was presumably chosen for their innovative “six-in-one” paint that does everything from coating to insulating and waterproofing to flooring.

During a press conference about the new partnership, director of marketing development for Beijing 2022, Piao Xuedong stated, “It is hoped that Sankeshu will use the cooperation with the Beijing Winter Olympics as a good opportunity to unremittingly improve product quality and service guarantee system, reflect the corporate social responsibility, and show the image of Chinese national brand to the world.”

Sounds a little patronizing to be honest. Nevertheless, it’s nice to see that the legacy of such important athletes as Jesse Owens isn’t being glossed over by big business. Unless of course one of Sankeshu’s six-in-one features is a gloss coat.