Today marks the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and what better way to celebrate than to remember a selection of the Games finest moments that make this so much more than a sporting event.
1900 – The First Female Olympic Athletes
The modern-day Olympic Games were founded in Athens in 1896 initially for men. It wasn’t until 1900 and the Paris Olympics that women were allowed to compete in tennis, golf, croquet, equestrian sports, and sailing. Another key moment for female athletes came much later in 2012 when women were finally allowed to participate in all sporting events. For this year’s Olympics a record 49% of athletes are women.
To celebrate the advancements of gender equality at the heart of the Olympics, we have chosen the Omega Speedmaster Co-Axial Chronometer 38mm “Orbis”, a chronograph that looks just as good on a female wrist as it does on a male wrist with its dark blue dial, light blue counters and stainless steel bracelet. This timepiece was also produced to support Omega’s partner Orbis and their flying eye hospital.
1936 – James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens
Jesse Owens was an American track and field athlete who achieved international stardom at the 1936 Berlin Olympics when he won four gold medals for the 100 metres, 200 metres, 4 x 100 metre relay, and long jump, the most gold medals ever won at one Games. The record stood for 48 years before it was broken by Owen’s compatriot Carl Lewis in 1984.
The most successful athlete of the 1936 games, and a black man, Owens is also remembered for discrediting Adolf Hitler’s myth of Aryan superiority. A beautiful moment came after German athlete Luz Long gave Owens some tips for the long jump. Owens went on to win the gold and Long came in second place. Long was the first to congratulate Owens and they were later seen walking around the stadium together, arm-in-arm, posing for photos and showing the world what true sportsmanship is. Nothing less than a gold watch would best celebrate Jesse Owens and his achievements, so for this Olympic moment, we have chosen the Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Moonshine Limited Edition in Omega’s 18K Moonshine gold, an alloy unique to Omega that is a paler hue of yellow gold and also far more resistant from fading over time.
1976 – Nadia Comaneci and The First Perfect Ten
During the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, 14-year-old Romanian athlete Nadia Comaneci became the first gymnast in Olympic history to be awarded the perfect score of 10 for her performance on the uneven bars. An amusing moment followed when the judges realized that there was no way to display the score on the board as it only had three digits, displaying 9.99 as the highest score, adding to this magical moment. They flashed up 1.00 instead!
Dressed in an dazzling white leotard, Comaneci’s performance was elegance personifed. So what better timepiece to pair with her perfect 10 than the Omega De Ville Trésor Quartz 36mm in Moonshine gold with diamonds and a sporty white rubber strap?
2008 – Michael Phelps and his 28 Medals
Michael Phelps is arguably the best swimmer in the history of the Olympics, earning 28 medals over five Olympic Games. The 2008 Beijing Olympics was his finest performance where he won eight gold medals in the 400-metre individual medley, 200-metre freestyle, 100-metre butterfly, 200-metre medley, 4 X 100 metre freestyle, and 4 X 100 metre medley, breaking all the records except one, many of which were his own records.
Phelps is also an Omega ambassador and has a Planet Ocean 600m Chronograph Co-Axial Master Chronometer 45.5mm Limited Edition “Michael Phelps” named after him. This highly water-resistant timepiece with its chronograph movement is the perfect timepiece to celebrate this extraordinary athlete.
2021 – An Olympic Medal for Japan
The last of our Olympic moments goes to Japan, the city of Tokyo, and all the athletes who have made it to this year’s games to compete. This has not only been the most difficult Olympic Games to organize but also the most challenging games to train for, so everyone who has made this Games a reality deserves a medal in our opinion!
Omega has also pulled out all the stops too with six different Tokyo 2020 Olympic models to choose from, so if ever there was a year to celebrate the Olympics with a new timepiece, this is it!
