Could This Technology Help Win the Olympics?

November 24, 2023

Welcome back to The Sports Road, ladies and gentlemen! Ah, Black Friday. There’s really nothing quite like it, hey? I mean – good deals, the weekend, and most importantly, a new newsletter release… What else do you need!? Enjoy 😅

Here's what we got for ya today:

  • It’s Ski Season, Baby!

  • It’s YOUR Time!

  • Tennis is Levelling up

  • TGL Golf…

Most Valuable Sports Teams:

Let's get into it!

A Game Changing Deal…

It’s nearly Ski Season, ladies and gentlemen! And with that, for both you and us, we have a very exciting story… 

Every now and then, here on The Sports Road we get the chance to talk about a sport that – usually – we don’t.

Today, after a LONG while, we can finally talk about Skiing and Snowboarding again!

That’s right. Winter sports are back in the news, and this story could have some very big impacts on the scene’s future…

Signing a deal with iFIT – global leaders in the production and implementation of fitness equipment – the US Ski and Snowboard Association is looking to seriously level up…

This is what we know so far:

  • The main result of the partnership will see iFIT upgrade the association’s headquarters, implementing their unique technology throughout each piece of state-of-the-art equipment. 

  • Placing a specified focus on both warmup and recovery, iFIT will be ensuring that athletes are maximising their potential and getting the most out of each and every session. 

  • Signing on until 2027, an element of this deal that MUST be considered is that it runs through the Winter Olympics in 2026. Potentially providing the US with a competitive advantage in their preparation, this could be a masterstroke…

“We are especially proud of this partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard as we aim to continue our mission to be in service of athletes everywhere… Our world-class offering of immersive fitness programs will allow U.S. Ski & Snowboard to reach new heights with their training as some of the world’s most incredible athletes prepare for the greatest competitions of their life. We look forward to seeing how the USANA trainers and athletes use our incredible machines to pursue their athletic goals.” 

Mark Phillips, iFIT’s Chief Marketing Officer

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Your Time is NOW

Look, let’s be honest. We’ve all thought about how cool it must be to play for one of the world’s best teams in the world. Just us? 😅

Alright, alright. But honestly, imagine being in a FIFA or a Football Manager. How cool would that be!?

Well, with this startup you may just be able to… Kinda. Yeah, you read that correctly. 

Founded in 2021, Acting as a hub for Grassroot Footballers all across the world, Prematch is a social media like content platform created to help people interact, share performances, and more.

Aiming to double its user base by the end of 2023, the app – which collects data from a variety of sources – posts stats, results, scorers, and other information regarding Grassroots Football.

So, you may be wondering why we’re talking about them today.

Well, this week the platform received new fundings; and some of the names involved may make you think that Prematch is going to VERY far…

Raising seven figures, investment has come from Bundesliga players David Raum and Serge Gnabry, as well as Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

“Football is the world’s most popular sport. Our focus is on grassroots football, which accounts for 99.9% of all active players. With Prematch, we strive to be a community platform that ignites the football passion of more than 2 billion passionate people while creating digital access. With their authentic passion for grassroots football, Jürgen Klopp and his family are an amazing addition to our investors’ circle.”

Lukas Röhle, Founder and CEO of Prematch

The Future of Tennis

It’s no secret that Tennis has been on a warpath recently…

Okay, okay. While that may be a bit dramatic, the sport has taken a distinctive look towards the future in recent months. 

From the use of AI to better improve athlete safety, to the creation of a variety of digital experiences, perhaps the most important development has been the announcement that, by 2025, all line judge calls will be replaced by technology.

Primarily being implemented through the use of the electric line calling (ELC) technology – one that has been increasingly prevalent in major events over the last few years – the game is in the process of changing forever. 

Allowing for comprehensive tracking of both players and the ball, the combination of the technology’s capabilities does an expert job in capturing live action in real-time.

Why is this important now, you ask?

Well, earlier this week the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced that Bolt6 Sentinel has met the criteria to become officially recognised by the sport’s biggest organisations. 

Offering top level ELC services, Bolt6 could become Tennis’ next best thing…

“Our appreciation goes to the ITF and the Evaluation Committee for their continued support. Due to this collaboration, we are proud to become the first provider to launch directly to Live ELC and the only cloud-based provider. I feel very humble to represent the team of talented and dedicated people responsible for this.”

Steve Carter, Bolt6 CEO

We Need to Talk About: TGL Golf

Ah, well that’s disappointing…

So… If you’ve been reading the Sports Road for a while now, you would know that we were and, to be fair, still are unbelievably excited for TGL Golf – the sport’s very first virtual tournament. 

Created by TMRW Sports – the company co-founded by Golf’s two greatest players, Tiger Woods and Rory Mcllroy, the unique idea offered sports fans all over the world a glimpse into what the future would like.

Having seemingly grown – from what felt like strength-to-strength – every time we covered it, this week's announcement by TMRW Sports left fans somewhat disheartened.

Originally slated to begin this coming January, it looks like we’ll have to wait until 2025 to see the competition being played. 

That’s right. Following a power outage which saw the venue’s roof collapse, while thankfully no injuries were reported, the event will need to be postponed.

“This decision came after reviewing short-term solutions, potential construction timelines, player schedules, and the primetime sports television calendar… Despite this new timeline for the venue, we remain excited about the future of TGL and will continue to build excitement between now and the start of the season with our players, fans and teams.”

TGL Spokesperson 

Despite the delay, the competition remains star studded. I mean, just listen to this:

With fifteen of Golf’s current top 20 players geared to play in the tournament, team owners include Serena and Venus Williams, Stephen Curry, and the Fenway Sports Group – current owners of Liverpool FC. 

While the idea of Golf’s best players competing against one another in a PGA backed event may not sound that crazy, when you factor in what is actually about to happen – in our opinion – it’s pretty groundbreaking. 

Playing on a literal virtual course, the competition will display its virtual world and be played  on a 64ft x 64ft screen 🤯🤯

Partnering with some of the world’s biggest sports organisations – while it may take a little while – you do NOT want to miss this!

Quick Bites

Meme of the day

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Quote of the day

"We are a united group, with passionate and determined guys who want the best for Como — this for me is fundamental."

Cesc Fabregas on his managerial debut

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