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RC Cars Are the Javelin Errand Boys of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics
Posted by Jack Loftus at 6:00 AM on August 25, 2008
Track and Field athletes will probably roll their eyes at me for this one, but still I have to say I was amazed to see this little four-wheeled RC car scurrying across the field last night during the men's 5,000 metre race carrying javelins, and dammit, I wanted to write about it. After a little digging, I discovered a photographer who had documented the little cars (there are two at the Beijing games), and how they're a first for the Olympic summer games.
Eric Seals, a photojournalist with the Detroit Free Press, was photographing Detroit area Olympians when he saw the little red cars shooting across the field part of Track and Field. Watching the cars in action sounds almost as fun as driving them:
Two kids who look to be in their mid teens sit in chairs with large remote controls driving these cars (that look like something from that Speed Racer movie) back and forth from the field of play where the hammer throw competition is happening. Usually after an athlete throws the hammer someone is there to take it from the official back to the start for the next athlete to throw. Not here, not at these Olympics. Instead the official takes the heavy hammer and places it into the car, which is then driven back to where the kids are sitting. They have two of them so as one is coming back to the start the other is on they way to the end. I'm told the cars are also used to transport the discus and javelin as well.
This could easily be a new Olympic sport in and of itself. BMX racing? Football? Please. RC racing with shot puts and javelins in tow? Gold. [Freep]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
Mark
Posted August 25, 2008 7:45 AM
Saw the same thing at the melbourne commonwealth games, http://www.melbourne2006.com.au/In+the+News/20060321+Running+the+Athletics+by+remote+control.htm
Notch Johnson
Posted 6:34 AM 25/8/08
Is that a javelin in your RC Car?
Notch Johnson
frink
Posted 6:32 AM 25/8/08
I'm not sure if this is for real or an entry for the "Ruin the Olympics by Inserting Tech Where It Doesn't Belong" contest. If it is for real then I think It should still win the contest.
frink
flaagan
Posted 6:25 AM 25/8/08
This is like the epitome of being a lazy arse at a series of events for people who are the epitome of physically fit. Way to go technology!
flaagan
Jagged Toaster
Posted 6:24 AM 25/8/08
@unibrow4o9: That was great. I loved how he just pulled it out of him and kept on moving.
Jagged Toaster
Barry99705
Posted 6:14 AM 25/8/08
@unibrow4o9:
"I can recall a video of a javelin compitition where a judge standing on the field gets impaled, so I wonder if this is to keep people off the field for safety reasons."
Man I miss lawn darts.
Barry99705
unibrow4o9
Posted 6:07 AM 25/8/08
I can recall a video of a javelin compitition where a judge standing on the field gets impaled, so I wonder if this is to keep people off the field for safety reasons.
Or, it's quite possible it's one of those "we're going to use RC Cars this year, just cause we freakin' can".
Either way. I'm jealous of the kids that get to drive them.
unibrow4o9
scrag
Posted 6:52 AM 25/8/08
I think I also saw remote vehicles shuffling/smoothing sand for the beach volleyball courts.
scrag
thor79
Posted 7:17 AM 25/8/08
@scrag: Yeah NBC did a short segment on that in between beach volleyball matches. Those machines are essentially the same as a Zamboni machine (same kind of function). They mix up the sand and keep it soft so even if it has recently rained the volleyball court doesn't turn into hardpack wet sand.
thor79
smokeonit
Posted 7:17 AM 25/8/08
i think it was a good thing they did it!
in europe they would have argued about it the next 20 years before allowing it on the filed... and it's so dangerous to be on that filed in the 1st place...
smokeonit
BiZarRroBALlmeR
Posted 7:16 AM 25/8/08
start shooting the competition hey? This could make track very interesting.
BiZarRroBALlmeR
bad_dog
Posted 7:32 AM 25/8/08
@Notch Johnson: Or are you just happy to see me?
bad_dog
Chamellion
Posted 7:27 AM 25/8/08
I was actually there to witness it, and I laughed so hard the moment i saw them in the birds nest. It was carrying the Jav that time. For the shot put, they have a downward-slanted tube to take the shot put-ball back to the competitors
Chamellion
UrbanAce
Posted 8:11 AM 25/8/08
I converted a Traxxas E-Maxx into a hauler for the MU track and field teams. They could load it down with about 30 pounds of equipment and still get good speed out of it.
UrbanAce
Kingteddybear
Posted 8:04 AM 25/8/08
Looks to me like they could be modified to shoot cans of beer into the stands. A much more noble purpose.
Kingteddybear
OMG! Ponies!
Posted 8:01 AM 25/8/08
Yeah... that's a good idea. Radio controlled cars driving around real fast with pointy sticks. Because that's not a recipe for disaster.
OMG! Ponies!
yogibimbi
Posted 8:23 AM 25/8/08
Well, I sort of remember that Jan Zelezny threw his javelin to 98.something meters at an event in Jena, Germany, and almost impaled a particpant in a 10 or 5 km competition that was going on at the same time. That was, when they changed the equilibrium of the javelins slightly, so now they don't come so close to the 100m-mark.
yogibimbi
bwilliams18
Posted 9:00 AM 25/8/08
those volenteers are the luckiest they dont have to sit in a hot subway all day giving directions dont have to check tickets dont have to wand people they get to drive around a little rc car
bwilliams18
kentsmithnz
Posted 10:04 AM 25/8/08
I would have put flames on the side.
kentsmithnz
Mister Cow Pnoy
Posted 11:23 AM 25/8/08
Is that a javelin in your car, or are you just happy to see me?
Mister Cow Pnoy
Ambiguous Blob 2.0
Posted 11:19 AM 25/8/08
Makes sense that this would debut at the olympics hosted by China... With youth obesity rates exploding all over in that country I'd say give them a little time, and before we know it they'll catch up with us here in the states as far as being one of the fattest developed countries in the world! Google fat chinese boy, go on, I dare you...
Ambiguous Blob 2.0
bitgod
Posted 11:43 AM 25/8/08
Bah, get the games back in the U.S., we'll use some big ol monster truck R/Cs
bitgod
Barry99705
Posted 12:24 PM 25/8/08
@bitgod:
Screw that, we'd make them sprout legs and walk back.
Barry99705
Miguel86
Posted 12:42 PM 25/8/08
It's not the first time.
It was used before, at least 2 times.
[www.gizmag.com]
[www.theautochannel.com]
Miguel86
Joseph
Posted 12:36 PM 25/8/08
London is gonna be so boring.
Joseph
Git Em SteveDave displays attention-grabbing vanity
Posted 1:07 PM 25/8/08
@unibrow4o9: @Jagged Toaster:
+ Watch video
+ Watch video
+ Watch video
Git Em SteveDave displays attention-grabbing vanity
bpapa9013
Posted 1:03 PM 25/8/08
@UrbanAce: Typical MU lazyass...
bpapa9013
bpapa9013
Posted 1:02 PM 25/8/08
@OMG! Ponies!: The javs are pointing out the back... So unless it's backing up its a non-issue. (And I bet it goes real fast in reverse.) :P
bpapa9013
drewdoog
Posted 12:55 PM 25/8/08
... so who did the chinese steel this cars design from?
drewdoog
JackMatt
Posted 1:18 PM 25/8/08
@Miguel86: "they're a first for the Olympic summer games."
First for the OLYMPICS.... thats the big deal.
JackMatt
VakeroRokero
Posted 2:41 PM 25/8/08
I'm surprised there aren't any photos of Bush drunk driving one of these! I bet he took one home.
VakeroRokero
DrJimmy
Posted 3:26 PM 25/8/08
The Brits will use critters like these to bring me nice cold pints of IPA. Fuck you warm ale swillers; I'll be a tourist paying top dollar, so you Will chill the India Pale for me.
DrJimmy
The Magnificen7
Posted 7:47 PM 25/8/08
@JackMatt: Do you see an application in the Winter games? Who cares if he said Summer? It's not really a big deal anyway.
I'll be volunteering at the Vancouver games in 2010 (probably) and I would love to see something like this, even if it was just carting around coffee and hot chocolate or something.
The Magnificen7
Stearns
Posted 7:44 PM 25/8/08
A Jart cart would complete my thoughts.@Barry99705:
Stearns
DaSmith
Posted 8:35 PM 25/8/08
The RC car looks like a gigantic shoe on wheels! LOL!
DaSmith
Git Em SteveDave displays attention-grabbing vanity
Posted 9:34 PM 25/8/08
I think if they could manage to either catch, or auto load the javelin,discus, hammer, etc, that would be so much cooler. The way the javeline is mounted, it almost looks like if you had it in reverse, and jammed the brakes, it could launch it.
Git Em SteveDave displays attention-grabbing vanity
DeusExMach
Posted 1:37 AM 26/8/08
@drewdoog: Iran.
...those guys are serious about protecting their Olympic hopefuls.
DeusExMach
chumleyex
Posted 2:12 AM 26/8/08
awsomeness
chumleyex
honk4RC
Posted 3:51 AM 26/8/08
Economics 101 : Chinese unemployment on the rise ...
honk4RC