As the countdown to the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing progresses, some of the final – but most critical – events are taking place in pools and athletic fields around the world. Olympic hopefuls are competing for spots on their countries’ national teams.

It was a particularly happy weekend for three of OMEGA’s ambassadors who not only qualified for the American team but also set world records in their respective events (although one of the record times could not be reported as such).

In the pool:
Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps broke his own world record in the 400-metre individual medley with a winning time of 4 minutes, 5.25 seconds, finishing just ahead of Ryan Lochte whose time as runner-up also beat the previous record.

Less than an hour later, at the same pool in Omaha, Nebraska, Katie Hoff broke the women’s 400-metre individual medley world record with a time of 4 minutes, 31.12 seconds.

On the track:
On the same day, at the U. S. Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Oregon, sprinter Tyson Gay recorded the fastest time in history for the 100-metres sprint but the tailwind exceeded the maximum allowable for a world record; nevertheless, his time was a remarkable 9.68 seconds and it announces boldly that the current World Champion is on course to make his sprint events among the most exciting, popular events at the Olympic Games in Beijing.

We at OMEGA extend our congratulations to our three brand ambassadors for their extraordinary performances.

Courtesy: OMEGA SA, Switzerland

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Posted by Jigar Gondalia on 15 July, 2008 1:33:34 PM IST #